Today was our first day getting
on a bus and getting out of Jerusalem. It gave me the opportunity to see the
bigger picture of the layout of the city, on a series of hills divided by the
Kidron, Tyropean, and Hinnom valleys. It also gave me visual confirmation of
the truth of the saying, “Going anywhere in Jerusalem means going uphill both
ways!”
We made a number of stops along
the Mount of Olives: the site of a 1st century family tomb on the
grounds of Hebrew University; views looking across the Kidron Valley toward the
Temple Mount; the site where Jesus is thought to have looked out over Jerusalem
and wept for her; and, finally, the Garden of Gethsemane.
It was nice to be a bit further
away from the crowds of the city, though there were still plenty of people
here. Jerusalem is a city that is, quite literally, built right on top of
itself. Layers of walls, buildings, and roads create a jigsaw puzzle that is
both interesting and overwhelming. I realized today that part of why I am feeling
less emotional than I anticipated at some of the sites here is because of the
overstimulation of my senses. Sights, sounds, smells, and the ruggedness of the
road beneath my feet all compete with and distract my soul.
All this reminds me that the
scriptures say, “Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed,” (Luke 5:16,
NIV). Jesus knows what it is like to face distractions of the soul, to be
overwhelmed physically through his senses. And his example is a lesson to me
that I must take time, even in this place, to withdraw to lonely places to
listen for the voice of God. So I took time to quietly contemplate the emotions
Jesus felt on this mountain:
The grief as he
looked out over his beloved city – the place Yahweh chose for his name and
glory – and knew that its people “did not recognize the time of God’s coming to
[them],” (Luke 19:44);
The fear as he
prayed to the Father that this cup would pass from him;
The rejection as
one of his friends betrayed him with a kiss;
The frustration
as another of his friends ignored his teaching and resorted to violence against
a soldier;
And, the grace
and compassion he maintained despite all his disciples’ failures.
The humanity of Jesus, and the
fact that he is able to understand all of my weaknesses, has become even more
of a comfort since I've been here. This is a physically demanding place to be,
with the crowds, confined spaces, heat, and terrain. I am thankful that Jesus
has experienced all that I am experiencing here and has compassion and grace on
me in the midst of my distraction and confusion.
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