Following Jesus ~ Service

Last week we began talking about what it means to follow Jesus and when we looked at what the first disciples left in order to follow Jesus we saw that at its core following Jesus means sacrifice.  Peter, Andrew, James and John gave up their business and homes and they left behind family, friends and their community to follow Jesus.  They also sacrificed comfort, security and the control of their future because they didn’t know where Jesus was going or what he would ask of them.  So sacrifice was at the core of being a disciple and it still is, but today we are going to see that not only do we need to sacrifice but following Jesus also means being willing to serve.  

Let’s go back and look at what Jesus said when he called his first disciples.  Matthew 4:18-20.  So Jesus wasn’t just calling them to leave something behind he was calling them to pick something up, to start a new vocation and fish for people.  To become fishers of men and women really meant helping people come to know the love and grace of God.  Instead of providing food for people’s bodies, with Jesus they were to now going to provide lasting food for people’s souls.  With Jesus they were going to spread the message of how people could experience and live in the kingdom of God.

What this call to follow Jesus involved was the disciples putting aside what was good for them so they could think about what was good for others.  They now had to think about helping other people and reaching out to those around them.  They are being called to serve and every call to follow Jesus involves some kind of service.  Jesus made this clear when the mother of James and John came to him and asked if her sons could be given positions of leadership and authority.  Jesus responded by saying, Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant and whoever wants to be first must be your slave – just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve and give his life as a ransom for many.  (Matt. 20:26-28)  So following Jesus means service.  Jesus said, the greatest among you will be a servant and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.  (Matt. 23:11-12)

Jesus not only taught about being a servant but he showed us what it was like to serve.  Jesus never put his own needs first but was always thinking of others.  Even when he was tired and wanted to get away from the crowds, Jesus served them by making sure they were fed and cared for.  Jesus reached out to those who were lonely and welcomed them into his heart, he reached out to those who were sick and healed them and he called everyone around him to do the same.  In the story of the Good Samaritan Jesus talked about the lengths we need to go to in order to serve others.  The good neighbor, the man who served, was the one who not only stopped to help the stranger in need but in doing this was willing to risk his safety, set aside his schedule and pay for the injured man to stay at the inn and then he came back to make sure he was ok.  Look at Luke 10:33-37.  Go and do likewise.  Jesus is calling not just the man who asked the question to go and do likewise; he is calling all of us to go and do likewise.  He is calling all of us to go and serve.  

So following Jesus means being a servant and there are all kinds of ways we can serve others and I could just start listing, but what I want to do instead is talk about how to develop the heart of a servant.  The truth is there are many times we don’t serve because we just don’t want to do it, so how we can cultivate a desire and passion to serve.  One of the most powerful calls to serve comes from Paul who wrote to the church in Phillip and encouraged them to follow Jesus by being servant  Look at Philippians 2:1-11.  

Paul says we should have the same attitude or the same mind as Christ when it comes to humility and service.  Jesus had the heart of a servant and we need to have that same heart, but how do we get it?  How do we develop that attitude of service?  Let me share three practical steps that can help us develop a servant’s heart.

The first step is to begin to love service.  In his book on humility, John Dickson says we are shaped by what we love so if we begin to see the beauty there is in service, if we begin to truly love the idea of serving people, then we will love service and become a servant.  So to develop a servant’s heart we have to begin to love service and see the value and influence and inspiration that comes when we serve.  We have to remind ourselves that while the culture around us tells us that real life and satisfaction only comes when we are on top and everyone is serving us, true power and life and significance comes when we see the value and dignity there is in serving others.  The more we love service – the more we will want to serve and the more we will serve.  This is what helped the disciples.  They loved Jesus and every day they saw Jesus serve them and others and so over time they saw the beauty of Jesus caring for children and reaching out to those in need and they began to understand the value of serving and this shaped their hearts.  It didn’t happen all at once – it took time, but it happened.

This leads us to the second step in developing a servants heart and that is to reflect on the lives of servants.  Again, the disciples had the opportunity to do this every day and while it took a while, in time they began to see the real power and beauty of service and so became servants themselves.  The lives of true servants are powerful and inspirational and maybe the best servant for us to reflect on is still Jesus.  Take some time and read one of the gospels and reflect on how Jesus served others.  Take notice of how he never thought of himself but was always seeing and thinking about the people around him and how Jesus always seemed to respond to their needs.  Read the story of Jesus washing the disciples’ feet in John 13 and see the power, beauty and inspiration in that story.  Reflect on the lives of servants like Mother Teresa or read about people today who are risking everything to courageously serve those in need in the inner city or in places of need around the world.

Maybe more powerful than reading anything is to simply reflect on the lives of the people who have served us.  Maybe that would be our mother or father.  I have done a lot of funerals of parents whose children have talked about how their parents truly served them.  Just last week I listened to the Holderman family talk about their mother Phyllis who in very simple and yet powerful ways served her family.  She served them by simply being there and being a calm presence in the midst of their lives.  I’m not sure Phyllis would have seen herself as a powerful example of a servant (maybe the mark of a true servant) but she was and we can learn a lot by reflecting on the lives of those who have served us.  I know I learned a lot about serving by reflecting on my Mon’s life.  She served me by not only driving me to music lessons and band competitions but by sitting in the car for hours waiting for those lessons and activities to end.  She set aside what would have been good for her to serve me.

Maybe the servants we need to learn from are the people in our church or community.  Sarah was a servant in Altoona by being willing to come to the church every week and help provide food for the children of the community when we first started our after-school program.  Janice was a servant in Lewisburg by always being there for her parents when they were in need.  She sacrificed much of her life and all of her vacations to make sure they were cared for.  And I could mention several people here today who set an amazing example for all of us about what it means to serve.  There are servants among us who give their time and energy and love and money to help care for friends, neighbors and strangers and they don’t do this for recognition or praise – it is just who they are.  They joyfully give up vacations to go on mission trips, take their weekends and free time to serve those in the community and they inspire and encourage me.  The quiet servants among us help shape my heart and motivate me to serve more.  If we open our eyes, God will show us people who are true servants and as we reflect on their lives it will shape our hearts.

Now the third step is to just get out there and serve.  Think of our servant’s heart like a muscle – no muscle gets stronger unless we work them so the only way to become more of a servant is to serve.  It may feel strange the first few times we serve others, we may feel inadequate, uncomfortable and completely out of place- but the more we serve the more we will experience the joy of serving and the more we will want to serve and find the courage to do it.  And it’s ok to start small.  Don’t start your life of service by taking on world hunger or solving the problem of homelessness in NYC.  Start by serving your family.  Serve one person in your home or neighborhood this week.  Reach out to someone you know who is in need or deliver some canned goods to the food bank.  Simple acts of service will lead to more until eventually it becomes a part of our lives.  

If you aren’t sure how or where you can serve, you can start right here.  We can plug you into service on Sunday morning or through the week and we can use just about anything you have to offer.  I would also invite you to circle Saturday April 26 right now because that is the day that we are inviting everyone in Faith Church to serve.  Our goal is to set aside one day where we all come together to serve others and our mission is to serve our seniors.  There are seniors in our community who often need help getting their homes and yards cleaned up after the winter and ready for the spring.  It doesn’t matter what you can or can’t do – we can and will help you serve others if you will give us that day or any part of that day.

The truth is that we will never have a servant’s heart and become a servant until we step out and serve others and the great thing is that once we do start serving we will experience something powerful and profound because we will experience the presence of God.  When we serve we not only have the same mind as Jesus but we have his heart and hands which means we begin to experience His presence and the power of his love.  So serving may be hard and unpleasant at times – but it will bring joy because it brings Jesus.

One last comment on being a servant, at some point we have to forget about being a servant.  We don’t stop serving but we don’t think about it anymore because it is just who we are.  When Jesus began to wash the feet of his disciples what moved him was that he saw a need among his friends and so he just did something about it.  While he used it as a teachable moment, what motivated Jesus to first take up a towel was seeing his friends in need.  My hope and prayer is that by serving and loving to serve and reflecting on all those who do serve that we get to that same place where it just flows from our hearts each and every day.


Next Steps
Following Jesus ~ Service

1.  Love Service
• Recognize the power and beauty in service.

2.  Reflect on the lives of Servants
• Read one of the gospels and notice all the ways Jesus served others.  Read John 13 and reflect on how Jesus served his disciples.
• Identify servants who have made a difference in our world throughout history.
• Identify 2 people who have served you.  What lessons can you learn from them about being a servant?
• Identify 1 person in the community today who is a servant and reflect on how their life is making a difference.

3.  Serve
• What one way can you serve someone this week at home, work, school or church.
• Set aside Saturday April 26 to join Faith Church in Serving our Seniors.
• Consider how you can make serving others at church or in the community a regular part of your week.

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests but also the interests of others.  Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus… taking the very nature of a servant. Philippians. 2:3-5, 7

Following Jesus - Sacrifice

Following people on Twitter is easy.  You set up an account, hit a few buttons and are instantly connected to what people are thinking, saying and doing around the world – you are a follower.  You not only get to see what they are saying and doing but you can also share all of this by re-tweeting their thoughts and comments with your followers.  Following people on twitter is easy which is why you can follow hundreds of people all at the same time.  Following a sports team is easy.  You can watch them play and celebrate when they win and cry when they lose, but it’s easy, it might cost you some money if you buy tickets to watch them play in person or purchase merchandise to show your support – but it’s easy.  We make following easy – but following Jesus is not.  The truth is that there is nothing easy about following Jesus and as we look at some of the stories of people who did follow Jesus we see that it called for them to sacrifice and serve but it was in following Jesus that they found salvation.

The first followers of Jesus were Simon, Andrew, James and John.  They were 4 fisherman who were already connected to each other in several ways.  Simon (who became Peter) and Andrew were brothers and James and John were brothers and as fishermen in Capernaum they all worked along the same stretch of shoreline, fished the same waters and maybe even partnered together in their fishing business.  As Jesus walked along the Sea of Galilee he called out for them to follow him and in Matthew 4 it says that Peter and Andrew “immediately they left their nets and followed him” and then James and John, “left the boat and their father and followed him.”  While it seems like following Jesus was easy for them, it was not.  Think about what they had to do to follow Jesus.

It says Peter and Andrew left their nets to follow Jesus.  As fishermen, their nets were their livelihood; it was how they provided for their families, put food on the table and even helped care for and feed the people of their community.  The people of Capernaum depended upon these fishermen to provide them with food.  Following Jesus meant that Peter and Andrew were leaving behind a way of life that had been comfortable and secure for them and a livelihood that not only provided for them but for their family and others.  They sacrificed a lot to follow Jesus – they gave up almost everything that brought them identity, security and a greater sense of purpose and they gave it all up for something that was completely unknown.  Jesus didn’t defined for them what it means to fish for people, he didn’t tell them how he was going to provide for them or their families or what their future would be like, so the sacrifice isn’t just in what they are giving up but also the control of where they were going and sometimes it is giving up control of our lives and our future which is the greatest sacrifice of all.

The same is true for James and John.  It says they left behind their boats which like the nets of Peter and Andrew meant their livelihood and business, but it also says they left behind their father.  Here the sacrifice included family.  These first followers of Jesus left behind significant relationships that defined them and people who loved and supported them and maybe needed them.  Following Jesus could not have been easy for them and again, they had no idea where they were going or what they were getting themselves in to.  They didn’t know what the future held for Jesus or for them so part of the sacrifice was giving up control.

These aren’t the only people who made great sacrifices to follow Jesus.  Let’s look at Matthew, the man who wrote this gospel.  Before he followed Jesus, Matthew was a tax collector which meant he had a lot of financial security.  Working for the Roman government, his job was secure and he made a lot of money.  Matthew would have been comfortable and while he may not have had a lot of friends working for the Romans, he had a lot of connections and status which brought him power  Now look at what happens when Jesus calls him.  Matthew 9:9

When Matthew got up and left his tax booth it meant he was quitting his job right then and there.  You left your booth and you were leaving your job and there was no turning back.  Matthew was finished and he didn’t just leave behind a job but all the financial security, status and position the job provided.  He was also cutting himself off from all his contacts, all the leaders and rulers in Jerusalem who could have helped take care of him.  These people would have nothing to do with him now.  Matthew sacrificed a lot to follow a man that he may have heard teach and preach a few times and maybe saw perform a miracle of healing or two, but again he was headed off with Jesus into a very unstable and uncertain future.  Like Peter, Andrew, James and John, Matthew was leaving behind a lot.  He was sacrificing a lot.

Now let’s look at one more follower of Jesus who came along after Jesus’ death and resurrection and that is the apostle Paul.  Before Paul became a follower of Jesus he was a prominent leader in the Jewish community.  He had unquestioned power and authority in Israel and Paul could have had anything and everything he wanted. Jesus confronted Paul along the road to Damascus and first struck him blind and then sent him to a man named Ananias who restored his sight.  When the scales fell of Paul’s eyes it says he got up, was baptized in Jesus’ name and then immediately began to proclaim Jesus as the Son of God.  While the experience Paul had was dramatic, (I mean Jesus spoke to him, struck him blind and then restored his sight) think about what Paul had to leave behind to follow Jesus.  He was leaving behind position, wealth and power. Paul was letting go of everything he knew and trusted in all of his life and he actually went from one who was persecuting Christians to being persecuted as a Christian.  He went from being the hunter to the hunted.  Paul sacrificed everything to follow Jesus.

And that’s what we see everywhere we turn in the New Testament, following Jesus calls for sacrifice.  People left behind businesses, homes, families, wealth, position, status and power.  They sacrificed security, comfort and control in order to walk into a completely uncertain and unknown future.  Everyone who followed Jesus had to make great sacrifices and Jesus himself said that to follow him will require people to make great sacrifice.

In Matthew 19:21 Jesus said to a rich man, go sell your possessions and give to the poor, then come, follow me.
In Matthew 8 Jesus said to a man who wanted to go home and care for his family before he followed him, let them care for themselves, come follow me.  To those who had responsibilities and obligations, Jesus said there are times you have to leave those behind to follow me.  Jesus said to anyone and everyone who wants to follow him you have to deny yourself, take up a cross and follow me. Following Jesus is not easy because it always means we have to leave something behind.  Following Jesus means sacrifice and so the question we have to ask ourselves is what have we sacrificed in order to follow Jesus?  What have left behind in order to follow Jesus?

When I asked myself that question this week and looked back at my own life I realized that I’m not sure I have really sacrificed much or left much behind to follow Jesus.  I left my job at the movie theater to go seminary – but it wasn’t much of a sacrifice because I didn’t like the job and didn’t want to keep going in that direction anyway.  When I stepped out to become a pastor and come to PA it was a step of faith into a completely unknown situation – but I knew I would be financially and physically cared for by a church family.

So looking back I’m not sure I have had to sacrifice very much which makes we wonder if we make following Jesus too easy? Have I not pushed myself enough?  Have I not given enough?  Have I not stepped out in faith more?  Have I not trusted God more in situations where he has been calling me to follow him?  The answer to all of those questions is probably yes and what it tells me is that I need to think about what God might be calling me to let go of so I can more faithfully follow him.  If at its core following Jesus calls for sacrifice, then I need to ask myself am I sacrificing and giving all that God is asking me to give?


The truth is that I don’t ever want to get to a place in my life where I am content and feeling like I have given or sacrificed all I need to in my walk with Jesus.  I don’t believe Jesus calls us to follow him just once, I think  it is a call or an invitation he makes often, maybe every day, and each time we hear him say “follow me” we are given the opportunity to let go of something, sacrifice something, in order to move forward.  It might be a sacrifice of money or time or control of our future, it might be a sacrifice of status or standing or job or relationships or security - but in every call to follow Jesus, in every call to follow God, there is a call to sacrifice and let go of something and I want to be a follower who is willing to make that sacrifice and go all the way.

There are people all over the world today who are going all the way and who are sacrificing everything to follow Jesus, even their lives.  In over 100 countries, Christians are being persecuted and killed for being followers of Jesus.  There are churches being burned to the ground, ministries being attacked and children being subjected to terror and violence all because they say that they follow Jesus.  There are people sacrificing their freedom and their lives to stay faithful to Christ and when I think of that it challenges me to ask myself what I might need to sacrifice not just to follow Jesus but to follow Jesus with them.

Can I sacrifice some of my time and be more faithful in praying for those who are being persecuted?  Can I give more time in study so I can be more informed about our brothers and sisters in need around the world?  Can I make a sacrifice and step out in faith to pressure governments to change policies which allow for the persecution of Christians?  Can I get more involved and sacrifice my own self-image and status to stand up in this generation to say that I am a follower of Jesus?  My guess is that there is a lot we could all sacrifice in order to follow Jesus and to walk with those who are being persecuted here and around the world.

Following Jesus is not easy and sometimes I worry that we make it seem like it’s easy to be a Christian, but it’s not.  Following Jesus is not like following someone on twitter because at its very core it means leaving behind one way of life to live differently.  It means sacrificing some of those things the first followers of Jesus sacrificed like security, comfort, control, family, friends, finances and even our future.  Following Jesus fundamentally calls for sacrifice – what sacrifice will we make?  What sacrifice will you make?  What sacrifice will I make?


Next Steps
Following Jesus - Sacrifice

Identify all the things that these people sacrificed in order to faithfully follow God:

• Abraham: Genesis 12:1-9
• Moses: Exodus 3:1- 4:20
• Jesus’ Disciples: Matthew 4:18-20, Mark 1:16-20, Luke 5:1-11, John 1:35-51
• Matthew: Matthew 9:9-13
• Paul: Acts 9:1-22


Jesus taught that following Him would call for sacrifice:

• Luke 9:23--27
• Luke 18:18-30


What sacrifices have you made in following Jesus?

What sacrifice is God asking you to make today in order to follow Jesus?

Christians around the world are sacrificing everything to follow Jesus.  Spend some time in prayer for those who are being persecuted and find ways to support them.  (To read about the plight of those who are being persecuted around the world check out www.persecution.org)

Andy at Israel - Reflections from the Holy Land (Sunday Sermon)

I am thinking that no one really wants to hear a sermon this morning but that you might be more interested in some of my thoughts and reflections of the Holy Land, so my goal today is to share my journey with you and I hope I can engage all of our senses: sight, sound, touch, taste and smell.  So let’s start at the beginning.

Since I arrived in Israel at night, this was my first real glimpse of the Holy Land.

It was so beautiful I wanted to share the moment with you.

Our journey did begin at the Sea of Galilee and what I loved about this region was that so much of what we saw would have been exactly what Jesus would have seen.  The mountains haven’t changed much in 2000 years, the sea hasn’t changed, and as long as we weren’t looking at the city of Tiberius, then the landscape would be much the same as it was 2000 years ago.

Sea of Galilee

The first thing we did was sail on the sea of Galilee and as we got ready to sail God reminded me of all of you because the boat next to us was named “faith”.

Out on the water and looking at the mountains I was overcome thinking – this is what Jesus would have seen.

When they turned off the motor and we just sailed quietly along the sea I realized that what I was hearing was what Jesus would have heard - the waves lapping on the boat and the birds flying and squawking around us.

On this first day I was really overwhelmed thinking – this is what Jesus would have seen and heard and experienced.

The sea is really not a sea at all but a large lake and I’ll be honest, it was not as large as I imagined it.  You could easily see across the lake from Tiberius in the West

Tiberius

to the Golan Heights in the East.

Sea of Galilee looking toward the Golan Heights

The Golan Heights would have been the gentile region of the Garasenes where Jesus drove the legion of demons into the herd of pigs.  In Mark 5 it says the pigs rushed down the steep bank and into the sea and were drowned.  When you look at the mountains in this area and how they run down steeply into the see you can understand clearly it all could have happened.

Not far from shore but quite a climb up into the mountains was the hillside where Jesus delivered the Sermon on the Mount.

It is now a monastery with gardens so it’s hard to imagine it as just an open field with people sitting around him,

but you could still see a large area with the feel of a natural amphitheater.

You can almost picture people sitting and how they would have been able to hear Jesus.  I never really thought about the view Jesus would have had as he delivered the sermon, but this  is what Jesus was looking at as he preached, the Sea of Galilee.

From the Sea of Galilee we went to Nazareth which was the hometown of Jesus and it is a city built in the hills and I’m talking some pretty steep hillsides.  We visited the well that Mary would have gone to every day to get water and when Jesus was young he would have gone with her and that well has been flowing for over 2000 years.  The well still flows in the church and while it’s dark in the grotto so it is hard to see, you can really hear it.  This is what Jesus would have heard as a child every day.

We walked from Mary’s well to Mary’s house

Mary's House

This time it was clear that the city of Nazareth didn’t look at all like it would have in Jesus day.  It’s a modern little town with street vendors and stores and people just living their lives not even thinking about where they were and what was all around them.

Nazareth Streets

As we walked past vendors selling everything imaginable part of me just wanted to shout at people – "do you not know that you walking the streets that Jesus walked?  Don’t you know that the well Jesus went to get water is right there and his home is right here?"

I couldn’t believe so many people just seemed oblivious to presence of God around them and then it came to me that it was the same in Jesus day.  Most people didn’t recognize Jesus for who he was so they just went about their daily lives and didn’t see God in their midst and then I realized it is the same way today.  How many times am I guilty of not seeing the presence of God in my life from day to day?  And that’s the thing that was driven home every day of the trip, God sent Jesus into a very ordinary world.  We call it the holy land and it is because God walked there and chose this area, but when Jesus arrived it was just an ordinary land filled with people going about their lives – but God was with them.  The same is true today.  God still comes into our ordinary lives but we can experience him if we will open our eyes and ears and hearts.

Now let’s jump down to the Judean wilderness.  There are three main areas in Israel: Galilee in the north, Jerusalem in the middle and the Judean wilderness in the south.  Between Jerusalem and Jericho is a vast expanse of complete wilderness.

Judean Wilderness - on the Road to Jericho

It is barren, mountainous, dry and rocky – it is also incredibly beautiful!  Living in this region are shepherds – Bedouins actually - who make their living raising sheep and riding donkeys to heard them.

A Bedouin Community

Our guide Mick shared with us how these people live and work hard and how the ones he has met have been very happy.  They don’t have all the things we think are necessary for a happy life, like all the electronic gadgets, 24 hour sports, news and entertainment and comfortable homes and new cars, but they also don’t have all the worries, stress and anxiety that we have.  It was in this region where I got to see two little boys in action.  One was the little boy who helped us ride the camel.

He handled that thing like a pro.

The other was Mohammed who was a different kind of pro.  He could charmed people out of their belongings and then turned around and sell them $1 plastic bracelets.  Different jobs, but honestly they both seemed so happy and full of life.

One of the things I didn’t realize about the Holy Land is how mountainous this region is.

From Jerusalem to Jericho there is an elevation change of 3500 ft in under 16 miles.  The Mt. of Olives is 2300 ft above sea level and Jericho is 1200 ft below sea level.  To give you some perspective, the highest spot in PA isn’t even 3500 (it’s Mt. Davis at 3,212).  This is a barren area and as you can imagine, the summer time it is hot, we are talking over 120 degrees during the day.  I have to say, I’m not sure I ever thought about Jesus living in such a hot area, but he did, and this is the region where Jesus was both baptized by John and then spent 40 days in the wilderness.


These are the mountains where tradition says Jesus spent his time being tempted

Mt of Temptation outside of Jericho

and here is Jericho.

Jericho

One of the temptations I never thought about was that if Jesus was in these mountains he would have been able to look down on Jericho which at that time would have been a lush green valley filled with trees growing all kinds of fruits.  Jericho still grows just about every kind of citrus fruit you can name.  So think about it, when Jesus was in the mountains he wasn’t just being tempted he was doing what?  Fasting.  It would be like fasting in view of your favorite restaurant and what a temptation that alone would have been for Jesus.

Just a quick note, this is also the area where they found the Dead Sea Scrolls

Cave where first Dead Sea Scrolls were found

and where you will find Mossada which was the last hold out for the Jews after the Romans destroyed Jerusalem.  If you ever saw the movie, then you know the story.

Mossada

Now let me share a few thoughts about Jerusalem.

Jerusalem

It is a crowded diverse busy urban city with a lot of history and a lot of division.  At one time or another the following people ruled Jerusalem:  The Caananites – Israel – Persia - The Greeks - The Romans
The Byzantines -  The Crusaders - The Ottomans - The British - and now Israel

Each time a new nation came to power they would often tear down what was there or build on top of it which means there are walls and building and remains from each time period.  We saw things from the Cannanite period,

the Jewish period,

Remains from the original walls of Jerusalem

a lot from the Roman period.

The teaching steps just outside the Temple Walls

The Pinnacle of the Temle

Many of the churches were from the Byzantine, Crusader, and Ottoman periods.  It was the Roman period which was the period of Jesus and many of the walls that you see around the city are from the time of Herod the Great who rebuilt Jerusalem in 63 BC

Our day in the Old City was spent walking the Via Dolorosa.

One of the Stations of the Cross on the Via Dolorosa

This road traces the path Jesus walked as he carried the cross from Herod’s palace to Golgotha or Calvary. Since so much of the city of Jerusalem has been built up through the years it is hard to really get a feel for what Jesus would have seen or experienced as he made this final journey but what I tell you is that it would have been a hard climb carrying a cross.

City Streets in the Old City of Jerusalem

Remember, this is a hilly country and even in the city of Jerusalem there is a lot of climbing and the streets would have been narrow and crowded because it was the Passover.  During the Passover the population of Jerusalem would go from 70,000 to well over 700,000.

Like in Nazareth, it amazed me that people could go about their ordinary lives in such an amazing and holy place.  The Stations of the Cross and these amazing historic and holy areas are surrounded by people selling meat and baked goods and spices as well as souvenirs and bins of remote controls (which I really didn’t understand) and all kinds of clothes.  Again, it seemed sad to have people just going about life in such a holy place oblivious to all that was around them, but then again I realized that we do the same thing.  God still comes into a very ordinary world and lives among very ordinary people and gives his love and life to people like us who often don’t take the time to notice.  My hope is that I will somehow notice God and give thanks for the life and love of Jesus every day.

One last reflection I want to share has to do with a question I kept asking myself.  Why did God chose this land?

Panorama view from Meggido

At times it is rugged and in some places the land is harsh and hostile and yet it is a tiny spot that has been fought over for centuries and I kept asking myself why God told Abraham that this was the promised land, and then our visit to Meggido began to answer those questions.  If you look at a map, you see that Israel is the location where the three great land masses of Europe, Asia and Africa all converge.

So in many ways, this was the center of the world and if God was going to somehow reach out to all people then this was the place where he could do it.  Let’s look back and see why God chose Abraham in the first place, look at Genesis 12:1-3.  The Lord had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you.  “I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing.  I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse;  and all peoples on earth.  

God chose Abraham for one reason – to be a blessing to all nations.  God chose Abraham so that he could bless all the nations and all the people of the world through him and through his family and the only way God could do that is if he put Abraham and his family which are the people of God, right into the center of the world.  This way Abraham and his family could spread the news about God to all people.  God sent Abraham to this place because it was the only place and the only way that God could reach the entire world and that was God’s desire to reach everyone and to bless everyone.

That is still God’s desire, to reveal his presence and love to al the world and to bless every person with Shalom, which is not just peace but the fullness of life and peace that only God can give.  Now here’s what we need to remember, God chose to offer his peace and the gift of life to the world not through a supernatural power but through a person, first Abraham and then Jesus.  God chose to bless the people of the world, all the people of the world, through his people, first the family of Abraham, the nation of Israel, and now the family of Jesus which is the church – you and me.  We are the ones God wants to use to bless the world.  We are the people God wants to use to offer the those who are living ordinary lives all around us – Shalom.

Andy at Israel - Back in the USA

You probably can't tell but that is NYC in the distance.  Yes, I am back in the USA safe and sound and on my way home.  Our guide in Israel (Mick) 

said Jerusalem traffic is bad but nothing beats I-95 over the George Washington Bridge at rush hour!  It's nice to be home.  I can read the billboards and street signs again, but I will miss the relatively warm temperatures of Israel.  What is all this white stuff on the ground??!!  It doesn't look like Manna - I guess I'm not in Israel anymore.  

Thank you for following the blog as I have tried to share this experience with all of you.  In the days and weeks to come I might post more pictures and reflections so check back in the future. 

Your prayers have been a blessing to me, your love and support an even greater one!  My faith has been enriched and my understanding of God, his chosen people and his Son, our Savior Jesus Christ, forever strengthened.  

I have ended these posts with the word Shalom which means more than peace, it means the fullness of God's peace and the abundance of life that God has for us in this world and that is what I have experienced his week as I have walked in the footsteps of Jesus.  

May the knowledge that God walks in our footsteps every day and in every way bring us all Shalom!  

Shalom!

Andy at Israel - Joy!

Today was a day filled with joy and sorrow.  It began early with a walk around the old city during some free time.  How fun to walk the entire city north to south and east to west.  

We then went to the Mt. of Olives for some spectacular views and pictures of the old city.  What Joy!  

Our next stop was the holocaust museum.  It was a difficult tour.  I had to keep telling myself that all of this happened just 70+ years ago.  How in the world could all those atrocities have happened?  But then I had to ask myself how many atrocities are happening today that we don't hear about or do nothing about?  Man's ability to dehumanize, torture and kill others is what brings sorrow.  

The day and in many ways our tour and my time In. the holy land ended where it should, at the Garden Tomb, another possible location for the resurrection of Jesus. 

After dinner we head to the airport for the long journey home. This has been an anamazing  experience in countless ways. I've learned so much about the stories of the Bible, the political landscape of this land, the life and teaching of Jesus and along the way had fun riding a camel, floating on the Dead Sea and eating outstanding food.   

Most of all I feel blessed. Blessed to have a church family that cared so much for me that they sent me here, blessed to have the opportunity to share a little of what I have experienced here in the years to come and blessed to see things that solidify and deepen my faith.  We are all blessed because God chose to create is and draw us to himself and when we turn away in our sin, we are blessed that God sent His Son Jesus to live and die and RISE AGAIN to bring us life abundant and life eternal. What Joy!

Shalom!  

Andy at Israel - The Final Day

Our last full day in Jerusalem was spent walking in the footsteps of Jesus' last day.  We began our day near where Jesus would have been condemned to die and then began our journey down (or up) the Via Dolorosa.  

At the location where we commemorate Jesus taking up his cross there is a chapel that has as part of its floor the original roman road that Jesus would have walked.  There are still the grooves made by chariots and carvings in the stone that could have been the soldiers playing a game while beating Jesus.  

It is overwhelming to think that we are touching such a powerful piece of history.  Was this made the day Jesus died as soldiers mocked him and beat him?  While there is no way to know for sure, it is certainly a possibility.  The location is just right according to where the Bible says Jesus was taken and beaten and then travelled on.  

The road itself rises through the city as we make our way to what would have been Golgotha.  The streets are narrow and some are empty while others are a busy market - probably the same in Jesus day, althought since it was Passover and the city was crowded, there probably where not many empty streets.  

The road ends at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher which sits upon what was Golgotha.  The church is massive and as you enter you climb steep stairs to the altar that sits on the top of the mountain.  You are able to kneel under the altar and place your hand down a hole and touch the acutal rock of the mountian.  It is here that we believe Jesus was crucified.  Again, there is not much time to linger as the lines are long, but as I placed my hand on the rock the only words that came to me were, "Thank You Jesus!"  

(FYI, that is not me under the altar but the cousin of a friend of mine from High School.  He and his family are from a church in Pittsburg and were on our bus.  It is a small world!)  

Within this huge church is a chapel divided into two rooms.  (The chapel is behind me).

 

The first room is an anteroom called the chapel of the angel.  (Here are candels burning in the chapel.)

And then you enter into what could be the tomb of Jesus.  No pictures are allowed in this site, but as I ran my hands over what could have been where Jesus laid I ried to imagine both his body lying there on Friday and then the empty linens there 3 days later.  No words came this time.  Just awe, wonder, amazement.  

After lunch and walking up and down the city streets again (and thinking how easy it would be to get lost...) we journeyed to the Western Wall.  Both times I have been there now it has been raining and cold so we didn't stay long, but to have another chance to pray as I laid my hands on the wall of the Temple, a wall that would have been the back wall of the Holy of Holies was simply incredible.  

There was more to this day that I will share later, but you can see that our final day was incredibly full.  Sometimes I wished we had more time to listen, look, think, share and reflect and my guess is that on Jesus' final day he wished he had more time too.

Shalom!

Andy at Faith - Friends

Today was a wonderful day spent near and IN the Dead Sea.  We started at Mossada which was the last stronghold of the Jewish people after the fall of Jerusalem in 70 AD. 

If you saw the movie, then you know the story.  The Romans defeated the Jews by constructing a huge ramp that led up to the city where they could then pound their way through the fortified walls.  With certain defeat coming, the Jewish people chose death so that when the Romans arrived the entire community of Jews were dead, except a few women and children.  

Before the Jews used it as a fortress, it was the resort palace of King Herod and some of the original frescos are still visible and much of the ancient walls and structures are still standing.  

Again, it is amazing to walk in the steps of hisotry in such an incredible location.  The barren wilderness of this region is simply amazing and beautiful and vast.  

From Mossada we went to the banks of the Dead Sea for lunch, and while I hate to do this to all of you at home who continue to experience cold and snow, here was the view of the Dead Sea from my table!   We all decided that it doesn't get much better than this!

After lunch we went into the Dead Sea where you don't swim - you float.  After applying lots of mud for cleansing, I floated for quite a while.  It was hard to imagine that I was actually in the Dead Sea - what an experience and it was incredibly relaxing.  And yes, that's me floating out there.  

On the way we home we travelled a short distance along the old Roman Road that led from Jerusalem to Jericho and here I found a new friend - actually we all did - and Mohammad is quite the talker and salesman!  (And no Rex, I have not purchased that camel... yet!)

The day ended with an interesting discussion with a Palestinian Christian and Israeli Jew giving their perspective on the history, peace process and hopes for peace in Israel.  It is a very complex issue with no easy solutions, but our prayer should be that we can all learn how to become friends and offer grace which can lead to peace.

Tomorrow we visit the old city of Jerusalem and once again walk in the footsteps of Jesus.  As we make our way to the cross I am reminded that it is the Grace of Jesus Christ poured out from the cross that brings us Peace with God  What a friend we have in Jesus!

Shalom!