The Jordan Field Study

If we ever thought that crossing the border was tricky in North America, it was only because we had not experienced the chaos that exists elsewhere. Presently, Israel and Jordan are at 'peace'; but all that really means is that there are no wars at present. The people on the eastern side of the Jordan River are not too fond of those on the western, and likewise are the Israelis.

Nevertheless, we managed to cross the border in only a few hours, mostly due to the fact that we are all white, American tourists. And even though we had officially left the Promised Land (depending on how much one reads into the term...), we still had plenty of Bible-story-land in front of us. You see, the Israelites were given their land by their true God, YHWH, and the prophet Joshua was the one who divided it up for them. So, even though 2 of the tribes of Israel decided to stay in the Transjordan, those of Israel were well aware of their God-given boundaries. Their inheritance, however, was never enough for them.

All throughout the book of 1 & 2 Kings, the kings of Israel and Judah are constantly pushing and shoving their way across the Jordan and into the east. Their greed is not what is shocking, at least not compared to their concept of the land in the first place--they are under the impression that the land belongs to them. It is not as if they are just striving to get a little extra, but they do not even see their own greed, running as if they have the right to it; as if they deserve it.

As easy as it is to see the faults of ancient monarchs, the lesson that God showed them was not just for them, but extends to our lives as well. For the Lord has given each of us a portion, and if you have the capability to read this blog, then hopefully you can admit that it is an extravagant portion relative to the rest of the world. But just like the kings of Israel, somehow we can never be content with our own portion, and we are filled with the feeling that they each knew so well. We want more, and when we see others who have, we feel like we deserve it! I know I have already written on satisfaction in the Lord, but here I am referring more to being content with His blessings. For we know that He has given us all we have, and He has taken all that we have lost. But our hearts must look to those like Job, who remained faithful to God even though he lost everything. Can we be content like that? I'm not talking about being numb to our circumstances, or absent in the world, but can we love the Lord and appreciate His blessings enough to be grateful for our blessings, however plentiful or lacking they may be!?

Let us rejoice in the blessings of the Lord, for "the LORD has given and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD" --Job 1:21

He is Risen

It has been absolutely too long since my last blog post, and that is due mostly to the craziness that has gone on here. However, that only means more to tell everyone that I still have not, but I will do my best to condense it into a single post.

Last Monday, Dave, Casey, and I left immediately after class at noon and took a bus up to Tiberius. Casey knows a family who lives south of the city that invited us to celebrate a Passover Seder meal with them on Monday night. Among the thirty or forty people who were there, it was a great time of Christian fellowship and an excellent meal--even without leavened bread (Passover is also called "The Feast of the Unleavened Bread"; Jews clean out all the leaven from their house for a week, only eating Matzah). That night we slept in the tent on their lawn, which overlooked beautiful Lake Kinneret (a.k.a. the Sea of Galilee) and woke up the next morning to begin "The Jesus Trail."

What we did not originally calculate was the fact that the buses (to take us to Nazareth, where the trail begins) were not running that day because it is a holiday Shabbat (Sabbath) for the Jews. Thus, we did what any good Israeli would do: hitchhiked. According to our directors and other students, its not-at-all dangerous in Israel and most drivers are willing to give you a ride. It worked surprisingly well, and after three different drivers and only about an hour of walking, we made it to Nazareth. Because the trail is very very new, almost no one knew what we were talking about--thus, we wandered around Nazareth for 3 hours before we even began the trail. So, tired and hungry, we hit the trail at 2:00pm and didn't stop walking until 6:30. Passing through Cana (where Jesus performed his first miracle, Jn 2), we bought some food that we could cook for the night, and just outside the city we pitched tent and watched the last sliver of sun fall behind the horizon. The next day, we left at 9:00am and pounded out several more kilometers, this time running into a herd of massive cattle (twice), struggling to follow the poorly marked trail (every ten minutes), and running into fresh fruit trees (about 4 times, which were incredible blessings from God). Finally making it back to the Sea of Galilee by 6pm (yes, 9hrs of hiking), we were completely and utterly refreshed as our bodies were doused in water for the first time in three days. We met up with some guys in the city, hit up a classy restaurant (which was kosher, and thus frustratingly not serving any leaven), and hit the beach for the final night of camping.

On Thursday we returned to Jerusalem and that night attended a Maundy Thursday service at Christ's Church and took communion together. Afterward, the congregation took a walk to the Russian Orthodox Church on the Mt. of Olives in the Garden of Gethsemane and listened to the pastor's short devotional and then had some incredible quiet time, just as Jesus did almost 2 millennia ago (Mt 26). The following day, Good Friday, I was strongly spoken to and convicted by the Holy Spirit. At our weekly vespers Friday night service (a JUC event), we were read the story of the crucifixion and I was brought to a flood of tears. My whole life I have spent trying to love God, with the desire to bring His Gospel to others. Recently, however, I became so concentrated on bringing it to others, or so full of pride, that I had forgotten that I was a sinner who needed Christ to die as much as anyone. The Holy Spirit convicted me saying, "No, Jonathan, this Gospel is not just for other people, IT IS FOR YOU! JESUS CHRIST WAS CRUCIFIED FOR YOUR SIN!" This realization slapped me hard, but it was so incredibly essential for me to learn (and I will return to this below).

On Easter Sunday, we awoke at 4:45am (I was blessedly awaken naturally just 5 minutes earlier--praise God!) and made way to the Garden Tomb, a Protestant Church centered (physically, and outdoors) around a tomb that 'could' have been Jesus' tomb (aka there is no evidence for it, but its a 1st century tomb that's empty). The service, beginning at sunrise, packed people into the courtyard around the tomb and we worshiped God and celebrated together.

No Christian should ever forget the truth of Christ's action in our salvation, for the Apostle Paul, who can be looked to as an faithful servant of Christ Jesus wrote to Timothy saying, "Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners of whom I am the foremost" (1 Tim 1:15). Paul, a Pharisee of Pharisees and keeper of the law, declares himself the foremost sinner and in desperate need of the mercy and grace of Christ! Humility is something that does not come easily to most of us, but after Christ's example (Phil 2:1-12), Paul leads us in the same direction striving so that we may humble ourselves and make much of Him.

Let us boast not in our own righteousness this Easter season and beyond, but let us be humble realizing that the grace and mercy of Jesus is the only true source of our righteousness.

"He must increase, but I must decrease" --John 3:30

Palm Sunday--Its a BIG Deal in Jerusalem

Hundreds of years before Christ, the prophet Zechariah prophesied that the Messiah would ride into Jerusalem on a donkey colt (Zech 9:9), and Jesus gloriously fulfilled this prophecy a week before his resurrection and a day before Passover. Only days before His betrayal and murder, our Savior climbed over the Mt. of Olives on the back of an unbroken donkey, and the people welcomed Him in, waving palm branches in celebration and then laying them (as well as their cloaks) beneath the donkey’s feet.

2,000 years later (almost), Christians from around the world come to Jerusalem on Palm Sunday to remember this remarkable event—and the celebration provides it with about as much justice as humans are capable.

In what most resembles of a synthesis of Vacation Bible School and a Cinco De Mayo celebration (without alcohol, of course J), we danced through the streets from the backside of the Mt. of Olives, over the top, down the west side, and into the city—the Church of St. Anne (Mother Mary’s Mother) to be exact. What an incredible experience it was! It was nonstop worship from beginning to end! Men had guitars, mandolins, and a variety of small hand drums, and together we sang songs in English and Spanish (but we overheard several other languages, such as Italian, German, and Hebrew, of course), praising the King of Kings and remembering His triumphal entry into this Holy City. After arriving at the church, we continued the dance session for another 45 minutes before we had to call it quits. Altogether, I danced and sang with my brethren from around the world for about 3.5 hours. Praise Jesus for this incredible experience! It was wonderful to finally see some Christian representation in Israel (they easily get swept under the Muslims and Jews), and more incredible to see how valuable it can be to hold to a calendar that calls the believer to remember the remarkable and normative events that hold the faith. Western Protestants have much we can learn from the Eastern Orthodox-ers—this is just one of many: the height of value the place upon remembering the events of the life of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. This Easter season, let us meditate on the events of Jesus’ life through which He faithfully and joyfully endured in order to reconcile us with the Father and bring us eternal life.

Swimming Where Jesus Walked

So remember what I said last time about the stagnant bowels? Yea... scratch that. The trip began on Saturday morning when we boarded the bus at 7:00am. Thinking I had fully recovered from the race (due to the fact that my legs and arms were no longer sore), I expected no problems. However, I began experiencing quite frequent and increasingly painful stomach cramps. At first it came in short bursts, feeling like little pushes and pokes in my gut. I continued to eat and even digest without any irregularity. But by the end of the second day (which was Sunday), I would get bursts of cramps that I would reckon to Shaq reaching into my torso and squeezing my stomach with all his might, challenging me to hold my food--and as much I want to vomit to escape the pain, I am unable. Immediately after welcoming my dinner that night, I parted with it (by its natural hatch) and somehow made it back to our own little room just in time to bid farewell to my dessert (once again, southward). So this continued all night--I would wake up in a pool of sweat, visit the bathroom, and return to bed freezing. I had no choice but to take the next day, Monday, off from the field and rest in the room. Thankfully, I was able to spend the day with Jesus, sleep, and watch the sunset--which provided a good enough day not to leave regrets of missing a day in the field. Oh and by the way, our window looked right onto the Sea of Galilee--I could not have asked for a better location. But so that you all know, I'm feeling much more 'solid' today, if ya know what I mean...

Those days in the field, though, were quite incredible. The cities of Caesarea and Beth-Shean were two of the most impressive that we've encountered on this trip. Caesarea was built by Herod the Great, and because their was no established Jewish settlement there, he had the freedom to build it completely Hellenistic--and it was beautiful. The most impressive part was the fact that he was the first man to build an artificial harbor upon the sea. His engineers developed a type of concrete/cement that was able to support a whole line of buildings to surround the harbor (which is now completely submerged, we only have historians' descriptions). It also included a few hippodromes--where chariot races were held! The city of Beth-Shean is mentioned several times in the OT, but not once in the NT, although Jesus would have most likely traveled through here many times on His way to Jerusalem. During the 1st century C.E., the city was almost fully Hellenized, and therefore, the Gospel writers may have wanted to avoid mentioning it. Regardless, it was an incredible-looking city, complete with Roman theater, bathhouses, and arenas.

On the final night, I took 2 pills of Immodium (which are still making cement in my stomach) in order to prepare myself for the next day's field study, and it worked! Waking up in the morning I felt pretty good (so I ran out and jumped in the Sea for a morning swim) and never once had to #2. With this comfort factor in mind, we headed out to a nearby dock and boarded a boat out to the middle of the lake. Notice the word "lake"--only the Jews refer to it as a Sea--its much smaller than even the individual Great Lakes of North America. Sitting there, able to see land in all directions, I just imagined Jesus walking out to us. How incredible it would have been to see your mentor and teacher walking out to you on the water!

'Could this be the Messiah that our Father Moses wrote about!?!?' His disciples were surely thinking... "Will He restore the Kingdom to Israel?" ...

"You are the Christ, Son of the living God" confirmed Peter (Mt 16:16). They knew that He was the One whom the Lord had promised their fathers so long ago. Let us follow after these disciples and bow our knees to Jesus, for he "did not count equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing... by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross" (Phil 2). This God-man really lived, really died, and really rose again, all in order to reconcile the Lord with His creation. It is in this hope we were saved (Rom 8:24).

The Best and Worst of Israel

So after much time on the phone, an appointment scheduled, and a lot of waiting, I made it to the Ministry of Affairs on Wednesday morning to get a student visa. I was shocked (although I should not have been) by the disorganization of the entire building and the mass of people trying to navigate through it. We knew our room number, so we didn't have to wait in the information line, thus we swam throughout the maze of hallways seeing long line after longer line, worrying about our own line-standing fate. However, when we finally found room 206 (which was written in pen on the wall), there was only a short line, and even though we were early, we were in and out relatively quickly. This time I was really shocked--and it was merited! With all the disorganization and chaos, somehow my fellow student and I were processed and finished incredibly quickly. But I will say that I will never complain about Agencies/Departments/any official organization in the United States again, for even the most chaotic line at the DMV will not compare with this.

Later on that same day, or shall I say that night, all the JUC Half-Marathon Runners trecked out to the Mamilla Hotel for the complimentary Pasta Dinner. Upon arriving, I knew that this would be one of the BEST experiences I was going to have in Israel. Live music, servers bringing drinks and appetizers, and quite a modern-looking lobby--we were being treated to the high life! After we entered the dining hall, our first impressions were reinforced with classy tables, too much silverware, and the smell of incredible food. We heard a few speakers tell us something in Hebrew, then the mayor gave a speech. Soon after, we hit up the buffet that was filled with some of the best pasta I have ever seen of tasted! Not to mention the fresh bread and extravagant dessert table, I grabbed a Coke with my food and began to enjoy the meal. The whole experience was incredible: each time we were impressed it seemed like something more impressive always followed, such as when we met the Mayor of Jerusalem! All in all, it was quite a classy night.

The next day, with our stomachs still filled with pasta, we departed at 7:30am to the bus stop toward the Half. With only one transfer, we made it to the stadium with plenty of time. The Marathon was pretty standard: we had electronic trackers tied in our laces, numbers on our chests, and our watches ready to go. However, there were no 'starting corals,' so we just kind of mobbed the starting line, and when the race began, we were in for a few surprises. First, there were no mile-markers, so we had to kind of guess on how far we'd run, and second, there were no porta-potties (thus, last night's pasta was bubbling in my stomach with absolutely nowhere to go...). But thankfully, I was able to assume an 8-minute-mile pace, which we achieved, and maintain stagnant bowels, and cross the finish line in 1:43:32, a new Personal Record! The race showed us the best and worst of Israel all at once, with the incredible dinner and the interesting race route (full of hills, I might add).

Anxiety and the Sovereignty of God

The lilies of the field, oh how beautiful they are! Jesus tells us to look at how they are clothed and protected by the Father—how King Solomon, in all his splendor, was not clothed even as they are—and then to consider how God will take care of us.

No matter where we find ourselves, it seems almost impossible to run away from things that have us anxious. As soon as we’ve finished worrying about one thing, whether it has been resolved or our heart has moved on, another will stroll along finding its way into our minds, tugging at this or that. Or maybe it appears to roll in more like a thunderous storm, especially if its that ever familiar anxiety about the work we’ve yet to do (which of course will never end) or the deadlines we must still meet. Many of us aren’t even that anxious about ourselves, or at least not as much as we are for others, be it a spouse or a child or whoever, we may worry with every update they give, or fail to give. It often doesn’t matter the outcome or the circumstances, as much as the fact that we feel as if we won’t be able to handle what is ahead of us, or that if we can handle it, it will not result in the way we desire. But what can this worry produce? Or how can it help? Jesus asked, “Which one of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life?” Or in other words: what could you possibly gain from worrying, what benefit might it have?

“Do not be anxious about your life…” Matthew 6:25

Jesus brought this command to his Sermon on the Mount almost 2,000 years ago, knowing it would still ring true today. It is not a mere suggestion that He brings to the moral conversation; He did not merely say, “you do not need to worry, God will take care of you.” No, he commanded us, “do not be anxious!” If our faith is in the Lord, we will be taken care of. He is our Provider, for He even provides for the grass. What does Jesus then call those who worry? “O You of little faith” (6:30). Avoiding anxiety is not just something Jesus suggests, it is a command, and when we disobey it, we are insulting God, telling Him we do not trust Him, that we have no faith! It is as if we say “Lord, I do not trust that You are in control.” For if we did trust Him, we would rest in the knowledge that he takes care of all things!

“For those who love God, all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose” Romans 8:28

This command was not limited to Jesus’ sayings for Paul repeats the same here in Romans (see also Philippians 4:4-7). To worry about our life is to sin, for we are proclaiming to God that we do not trust Him. How can such anxiety be healed? By replacing it with faith. Let us put our faith in Him who loved us and died for us: our Lord Jesus Christ. For He is calling us now not to live in anxiety; not to be worried, but to have our hearts and minds guarded with the faith in Him who works all things together for good. Now this “good” does not mean we will get all we believe is good for us, but rather what is good in the sight of God, and if our faith is strong in Him, we will be able to perceive this good ourselves. You must not worry about your life, for you cannot help yourself anymore than you can change the will of God. The Lord is in control of all things, and it is such a joy living with our faith fully rooted in Him!

Field Study in Samaria

Upon waking up to a rainstorm at 4 a.m., I was not anticipating myself having a productive and beneficial day in the field. Despite a bad attitude before anything had even begun, I was rather surprised at how interesting and enjoyable I ended up finding the day.

Our first stop was at a lookout east northeast of the Biblical site of Shiloh. The view was lost completely to the fog; we were unable to see more than about one hundred feet off the hill. However, from the comfort of the bus, I found the information extremely interesting. It was cool to learn about the tribe of Joseph, that found its own portion to be undesirable because it was too small. Rather than forcing this tribe to stick to what was given to them, Joshua ultimately empathized with their situation and provided another option for them. He gave the tribe Joseph, Ephraim and Manasseh, not just the hill country, but the forest that was beyond it. They were to “clear it and possess it to its farthest borders” (Josh. 17:18). This portion of the land was also the inheritance of Israel’s leader, as Joshua himself was buried there, in the city of Timnath-serah, north of the mountain of Gaash (Josh. 24:30).

After this we made the climb up Mount Gerazim, which is north of Shiloh and Michmathah, just east of Shechem. This is the site where, according to Moses in Deuteronomy 27, the Israelites will be blessed by the Levites (the descendents of Aaron, the tribe of priests). My fellow Taylor student and roommate, Dave Moran, memorized the passage of Levitical blessings upon the Israelites while standing upon this Mount. It was incredible to hear these blessings shouted out in a loud voice, and to be standing on the same mountain that they would have been shouted it over three thousand years ago! It is only in this land that I have truly begun to understand how much God is necessary for the survival, not to mention prosperity, of a people group. The Israelites were mice in a land where cats ruled; surrounded by empires of enormous might and power, the Lord’s people were utterly dependent on Him. The only requirement they were to meet to gain the Lord’s favor was to love him with all their hearts and obey His commandments. But they were unable to, and the consequences soon followed.

Afterwards, we visited the Samaritan Museum and afterwards treated with the best hospitality we had yet received since arriving in Israel (they gave our entire group of 30+ students tea!). I was intrigued by the theology and worldview that was held by the Samaritan man who gave us the presentation. He made every attempt to show us the validity of the family line of the Samaritans and their connection with the patriarchs of Israel, all the back to Adam. But as is standard in Eastern culture, there was no effort made to show any sort of legitimate historical evidence for this other than his display of a family tree. This concept has been one of the most challenging for me to deal with while studying in Jerusalem. Along with the site of the Church of the Arc, it seems so strange (and even a little delusional) to hold certain traditions as true when it can almost certainly be proved false. I have been wrestling with God about this lately, asking Him to remove the barriers that are attached to my Western, Protestant perspectives that I may see what He desires me to see in this land. Despite the intellectual difficulties that these likely-incorrect traditions and traditional sites bring, they have been helpful to the growth of faith of many, many people. In the class, History of the Chuch in the East, our Professor, Dr. Petra Heldt asked us if certain (or any) traditions have helped bring people to the Truth (a.k.a. to know Jesus), can we really say that they are not true, regardless of their unlikelihood? It has rocked my understanding of what is True in the eyes of God, and I am eager to continue exploring this concept. This may seem strange to anyone who is reading this, as it did to me at first, but consider chewing on this final example:

There is a church built upon "Jacob's Well," the site of many Biblical stories, the most common being Jesus and the Samaritan woman at the well (Jn. 4). It was here where He claimed to be able to give living water and many came to believe based on the woman's testimony. This story is an inspiration to us, reminding us to drink the water He gives, but in the Middle East, surrounded by hundreds of other 'sacred' scriptures (from various religions and cultic groups), it can be incredibly beneficial to have a tangible location to mark this event, because it happened somewhere in the area. Does it matter if this event didn't take place here? Or can we consider it True because it brings people to Jesus? Or does using the word "Truth" in this instance require us to redefine what it actually means, or more importantly, what we actually value within our own hearts.