Across the Sea

We  had a treat, a boat ride across the Sea of Galilee 

 a beautiful day for it, no storm

In the Hebrew mind the sea is the abyss

In 2007 we had live music and dancing on the boat

not this time

we westerners like water, we take some pictures

 Titanic move

 Family picture, to make sure we wouldn't lose anyone 

we were divided in families

often we would hear: family check

and we look around if our family was present

In shallow water we saw a fishing demonstration

 This net is called a casting net

Perfect cast

 He actually caught 2 little fish

Tilapia

Landed on the other side

Walking between mine fields we followed our Rabbi

picked up a rock and threw it in the field

just because he did it

 As usual Moria and Marc following close

We looked out on some ruins

 from the city of Susita

sat down for our faith lesson

Jesus went to the "other side"

 They sailed to the region of the Gerasenes, which is across the lake from Galilee.  When Jesus stepped ashore, he was met by a demon-possessed man from the town. For a long time this man had not worn clothes or lived in a house, but had lived in the tombs.  When he saw Jesus, he cried out and fell at his feet, shouting at the top of his voice, “What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you, don’t torture me!”  For Jesus had commanded the impure spirit to come out of the man. Many times it had seized him, and though he was chained hand and foot and kept under guard, he had broken his chains and had been driven by the demon into solitary places.

And there he healed a man called Legion

Jesus asked him, “What is your name?”

“Legion,” he replied, because many demons had gone into him. And they begged Jesus repeatedly not to order them to go into the Abyss.

the demons chose the pigs because that would be a safe place

pigs are unclean for a Jew

It didn't turn out to be a very safe place for the demons

 A large herd of pigs was feeding there on the hillside. The demons begged Jesus to let them go into the pigs, and he gave them permission.  When the demons came out of the man, they went into the pigs, and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and was drowned.

This place has steep banks towards the Sea

The man who was healed wanted to come along with Jesus

but He didn't let him, he sent them into the missionfield

to his neighbours, with simple directions

 The man from whom the demons had gone out begged to go with him, but Jesus sent him away, saying,  “Return home and tell how much God has done for you.” So the man went away and told all over town how much Jesus had done for him.

I believe that's what we need to do to

tell our neighbour our own story of being forgiven

of being set free.

and all because of Jesus

The man must have been successful because 

when Jesus returns to the other side he is met by a crowd

 Jesus left there and went along the Sea of Galilee. Then he went up on a mountainside and sat down. Great crowds came to him, bringing the lame, the blind, the crippled, the mute and many others, and laid them at his feet; and he healed them.  The people were amazed when they saw the mute speaking, the crippled made well, the lame walking and the blind seeing. And they praised the God of Israel.

So much is possible with Jesus

I got to say my memory verses about the feeding miracle

back to the bus

The Jordan

 Our packs piled up, we have breakfast upstairs

 Today we walk to the Jordan

North of the sea of Galilee

The Jordan is the most mentioned geographical feature in the bible

It's never wide but can move fast

Faith lesson about the crossing of the Jordan

faith is a thinking / doing word

like "put your trust in"

Do you know Me?

Do you trust Me?

Go!

We were invited to "do Mikvah"

To show before witnesses (our insula)

that we want to re-dedicate our head, heart, hands and feet

It is still hot in the desert and we struggle

but we want to live obedient before God

with His help

 I went first

I was so excited, 

When I was a youth leader we would do something like this sometimes

sharing that it was hard to live as a Christian and 

some kind of re-dedication

but in our regular church experience there is no room for this

I wish there was

Moria went somewhere in the middle

all the way under

 Marc went last before our leaders took their turn

all of us went even one who couldn't swim

that took guts

Everyone getting their "feet wet"

It sure was special

 With our feet still wet we went to our next stop

It seemed like a "plain" tell

We walked through a gate of some kind

And there we saw this great city

Bet She'an or Schythopolis
I'd been here before but coming up the back way sure gets the wow effect

 Took a picture from this, 

because that's what our  story was about the last time we were here

Marc sits on the stones the right way

It's a bathroom, close to the theater, mixed gender

they used to have live music too 

Coming from the black basalt towns of Betsaida & Korazin

this is so much more impressive

so much marble and big streets paved with mosaic floors

This is the "far country" form the parable of the "lost son"

or more accurately "the forgiving father"

a very seductive place

 

You should only go there with "wet feet"

They found a sign at the ancient hospital

"no death shall enter here"

It was a hospital where old people and pregnant women were refused help

their death may have looked unfavourable on their god of healing

This city was build by Alexander the Great

It got ruined by an earthquake 

 Alexander was a missionary for the Greek / Hellenistic lifestyle

"Human being is the measure of all things"

is the Hellenistic philosophy 

this is a seductive place

 interesting decoration, later used as symbol of evil

 Alexander build -an Arena (out of town because of the smell)

- a Gymnasium, school/ university where they studied naked

Arena for athletics - also with naked people

Temples to all sorts of pagan gods

With these things in place people would be seduced to be Hellenist 

In our world who uses the influence of 

education, sports, arts? 

"I did it my way" attitude of the theater?

or "you deserve it!"

How are the people of the religious triangle ever going to be an influence here? 

only with the Living God

 Thinking of our college and university students

how difficult it often is for them to have a living faith

when the deck is stacked against it

evolution is taught everywhere, 

and you are made to look stupid if you don't believe it

The only way is when we don't do it by ourselves

when we go in community, when we find an insula to belong

This place was hot in temperature and desert like

thinking of how difficult life is for our young people

out in schools where it's hard to measure up

it's often the same kids that get all the awards

if you are good at sport do you play hockey or

go to church?

and we live in a celebrity culture

we need to support each other

We went to the theater and sang

"Amazing Grace"