“The Sea of Galilee” (John 21:15-19) - Life of Jesus -

My Galilee

[chart] Can you guess what chart is this about? It looks like the chart that describes my past week with my children. But in fact, it is the chart that describes my spiritual journey so far. I did it recently again, and I found a very interesting fact this time. I suddenly realized that “the downs” were the places where I met Christ, knew him more deeply. I would call those places my “Galilee.”

The Sea of Galilee is captivating. Jesus loved that place. The name Galilee is mentioned more than forty times in the Gospels. In the Gospels many beloved stories occurred at the Sea of Galilee. But, it is also a painful place, especially for Peter and the other disciples. Today we are going to explore three of “Galilee” stories from Peter’s perspective, because Peter is you, Peter is me, Peter is us. [*Stone ritual: I want to invite you to hold a small stone in your hand for the next ten minutes.]

Working Hard All Night (Luke 5:1-11)

Peter’s first story is his call story at the Sea of Galilee. When was the first time you felt Jesus personally came to you? I want you to think about it. For Peter, it was when he hit rock bottom in his life. He was so desperate that he had to work all night. Perhaps he was not able to pay his taxes to Rome and in danger of bankruptcy.  Perhaps he couldn’t afford to buy medicine for his mother-in-law living together. Though we don’t know details, what we know is that Peter had to fish hard all night, but he caught nothing. It was when Jesus came to him, used his boat for a pulpit, then said, “Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.” Peter replied, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.” When he did it, a huge haul of fish, straining the nets past capacity. After this, Peter fell to his knees and said, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man.” Peter just realized that Jesus was more than a carpenter, or a teacher. Awe overwhelmed him. Then Jesus said, “Don’t be afraid; from now on you will fish for people.” So Peter left everything and followed him. That’s how Jesus came to Peter. That’s how Peter was converted and called at the Sea of Galilee.

In the Storm (Matthew 14:22-33)

Peter’s second story involves a storm at the Sea of Galilee. After feeding the five thousand, Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and cross to the other side of the lake, while he went up on a mountain by himself to pray all night. It was about three in the morning, shortly before dawn, the darkest hour. This dark hour also refers to Peter’s and the disciples’ spiritual darkness. Mark 6:52 says that after feeding the five thousand, their hearts were hardened. They were puffed up after a big successful ministry, thinking, “I’m somebody.” That was when Peter hit another rock bottom in his life. But again, our compassionate Savior Jesus supernaturally saw Peter out on the water, struggling, battered by the waves, and came to him, walking on the water. But Peter, spiritually blind, didn’t recognize Jesus, crying out in fear, “It’s a ghost!”  But Jesus said, “Take courage! I AM. Don’t be afraid.” Peter said, “Master, if it’s really you, tell me to come to you on the water.” “Come,” he said. Then Peter walked on the water to Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and started to sink. He cried, “Lord, save me!” Immediately, Jesus reached out his hand and grabbed him. The two of them climbed into the boat, and the wind died down. After this, Peter and the disciples worshipped Jesus, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.” In the midst of the storm at Galilee, at the bottom of his life, Peter came to know Christ more deeply and personally.

After Backsliding (John 21:15-19)

Peter’s third Galilee story is written in John 21. It’s his healing story. Have you fallen so hard and felt you would never bounce back? Or do you know someone who was deeply hurt and has been backsliding? Even though Peter had seen the risen Christ twice, he went back to Galilee for fishing, knowing that he would never deserve to work for Christ again. But, Jesus was already there ahead of him, waiting for him, coming to him. Jesus made a charcoal fire and prepared breakfast for him. When Peter saw a charcoal fire laid, perhaps he remembered the moment when he had denied Jesus three times in the presence of a charcoal fire (cf. 18:18). When Peter was asked a question three times, “Do you love me?” he must have felt hurt, because it was so painful, so shameful for him to remember how he disowned his Master three times. But here, you see Jesus is not asking the questions to embarrass or humiliate Peter. Rather, Jesus is asking the questions to heal him, restore him, reinstate him. Jesus has already paid the price for Peter’s guilt, shame, sin with His own life! So the context of the question is this: “Simon son of John, I love you. I died for you. I was raised to give you life. No one or nothing can separate you from my love. Do you love me just as I have loved you?” Jesus keeps coming to Peter at the Sea of Galilee, where he is desperate, where he is afraid, where he is backsliding. At the Sea of Galilee Peter is called, healed, transformed.

Our Galilee

Where is your Galilee – the time and place you encounter Jesus? For me personally, the year 2018 was my Galilee.  Around that time, I felt stuck, hit rock bottom, but didn’t know exactly why and where to turn. But while I was at a Methodist conference, God graciously revealed to me what the root cause of the problems was. It had to do with my “effectiveness-driven” mentality – “Make an impact and change the world” mentality. I grew up in a large city – near Seoul, South Korea, and unconsciously I always had that mentality. So when I was appointed to Houlton and Hodgdon in 2014, my initial goal was to shake things up and change the church, the culture, the community for Jesus. But apparently, it didn’t work. As a result, after three years, I felt “stuck,” and my sense of significance and self-worth diminished. And I asked myself: “Am I effective? Is my ministry here effective? When am I going to make an impact on more people in a larger ministry setting?

But while I was at the conference, the word given to me was “abide.” I thought I did abide, but in fact, what I did was to endure, but not to abide. I did not make my home among the people and the community. Then, God showed me what Jesus did: “The Word became human and made his home among us.” (cf. John 1:14 NLT). He chose to abide with us. He brought God’s kingdom to earth. Then, God gave me assurance that I was called to abide, to stay put, to be present to people where they are, to love them as they are. The encounter with the abiding Christ changed everything. That changed me.

So far, you have held the stone in your hand for 10-15 minutes. How did you feel? Suppose you hold it for 10 hours; how would you feel? I carried a sense of failure, a sense of resentment, for more than three years. I was exhausted, frustrated, afraid, wounded. But when I opened my hand, Jesus came and took my burdens and rolled them in the Sea of Galilee. Jesus changed my burden, my sorrow, into joyful dancing. So this stone is no longer a burden. It’s a reminder of Jesus’ abiding presence, God-with-us. It’s a reminder of who I am – I am steadfast, strong in Christ like a rock. So that’s my story, Peter’s story, and our story. Now I would like to invite another Peter who met Christ at the Sea of Galilee. [Joyce’s story continues…]

“Capernaum: The Healing Place” (Mark 2:1-12)

The Town of Jesus

When you visit Capernaum, the first thing that catches your eyes would be the statue of homeless Jesus [photo] at the gate of the town of Capernaum. In fact, Jesus grew up in the town called Nazareth, about 25 miles away from Capernaum. But Jesus was rejected by the townspeople in Nazareth. They said, “We’ve known him since he was a kid; he’s the carpenter’s son. We know his mother, Mary. We know his brothers James and Joseph, Simon and Judas. All his sisters live here. Who does he think he is?” (Matt 13:55-56, MSG) And they took offense at him. After this, Jesus left his hometown and made his way toward a town called Capernaum. Since then, Jesus called Capernaum his home (cf. Mark 2:1). He adopted Capernaum as his new hometown. Capernaum became a strategic point for his ministry. Five of the disciples (Peter, Andrew, John, James, and Matthew) were from there.  He performed more miracles (especially healing) there (twelve of them) than anywhere else in the Gospels.

 

The root of the word healing in New Testament Greek, is sozo, and it’s the same as that of “salvation” (soteria). When Jesus was here on earth, he brought his salvation through his three ministries: teaching, preaching, and healing. Matthew 4:23 says, “Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people.” So healing ministry was such an important part of Jesus’ ministry. It was a “sign” that did point toward the ultimate healing, salvation, that comes from Jesus the Savior.

 

Capernaum Synagogue    

The first healing story in Capernaum is written in Mark 1:21-27. After calling his first disciples, with them Jesus went to the synagogue. [photo] The original synagogue building in Jesus’ time was built by a Roman centurion based there (Luke 7:5). But that building was destroyed later (probably by Romans), and what we see today is the remains of the 4^th-century synagogue. On the Sabbath day Jesus spent time teaching in the synagogue at Capernaum. Suddenly, he was interrupted by a man who was possessed by an unclean spirit and screaming. Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be silent, and come out of him!” At this, the evil spirit shrieked, and then came out of him.  

 

The term “demon possession” refers to the condition when a person is under direct demonic influence physically, emotionally, mentally, and psychologically.[1] We find various symptoms of demon possession in the Bible.  On one occasion people brought to Jesus a demon-possessed man who was mute. When the demon had been cast out, the mute man spoke (Matt 9:32-33). On another occasion a demon-possessed man was mute and blind, and Jesus healed him, so that the man spoke and saw (12:22-23). On another occasion, Jesus met a demon-possessed man who was living among the tombs, breaking chains, yelling and harming himself (Mark 5:1-20). In this case, demonic influence brought psychological or psychiatric disorder, social isolation, self-harm, and excessive strength. We find various symptoms of demon possession in the Bible, but there is one thing in common. Jesus is able to bring healing and deliverance from them all.

 

Demons in the 21^st century seem to be more rare and subtle, but still real. There are still people who are subject to demonic influence or oppression. Sometimes it’s hard to tell whether someone has simply mental illness, psychological disorder, epilepsy, or someone is under demonic influence. God’s healing ministry never detracts from the gifts he gives through medicine and psychotherapy. Rather, it adds to our total resources for wholeness. If you or your loved ones struggle with addiction, substance abuse, negative impulses, suicidal thoughts, depression, or self-harm, I exhort you to pray this way every day, along with taking medicine and proper care: “Jesus, I commit my life to you. Watch over me, and help me with your mighty hands. Demon, I belong to Jesus, and he is more powerful than you. I command you, in the name of Jesus, to leave!” In the name of Jesus we are set free.

 

Peter’s Home

After Jesus left the synagogue, he entered the house of Simon Peter (Mark 1:29). [photo] The remains of the building here are Peter’s family house. Peter and his wife opened their house to their family, and to their Christian families. Jesus lived there with them, as well as Peter’s mother-in-law, and his brother, Andrew. Later, Peter’s house became an early house church.

 

When Jesus entered Peter’s house, Peter’s mother-in-law was sick in bed with a fever. The family told Jesus. He went to her, took her hand, and raised her up. Then the fever left her, and she prepared a meal for Jesus and the family. The healing touch of Jesus. Jesus often touched gently and lovingly those who ask for healing. One day a man with leprosy approached Jesus and knelt before him. "Lord," the man said, "if you are willing, you can heal me and make me clean." Jesus reached out and touched him. "I am willing," he said. "Be healed!" And immediately he was healed (Matt 8:2-3). Another time, a woman who had suffered from a discharge of blood for twelve years approached Jesus and touched his garment, thinking, “If I only touch his garment, I will be healed.” Later, Jesus reveals that this healing comes through her faith in him, not the magic of his cloak (Matt 9:22). The Bible says, “Are any among you sick? They should call for the elders of the church and have them pray over them, anointing them with oil in the name of the Lord” (James 5:14). The early church traditions, such as laying on of hands, anointing with oil, all show the power of touch. This practice is a tangible expression of the presence of the healing Christ. Jesus works in and through those who minister in his name by faith.

 

Capernaum House Church

I shared earlier that Peter’s home became a house church. Many scholars believe that the story found in Mark 2, healing of a paralyzed man, took place at Peter’s house. Based on excavations, Peter’s home was a small place. If it had only one level, the home was approximately 625 square feet. When Jesus taught in the house, so many gathered. There was no room left, not even outside the door. Jesus was preaching the word. Some people brought a paralyzed man, carried by four friends. But they couldn’t get in because of the crowd, so they carried their friend up to the roof, which was made of thatch and mud. They dug a hole through the roof and lowered the man on his mat. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” Jesus could say, “Son, be healed.” But Jesus knew, for this particular man, the heart of the problem was not just physical, but spiritual. Though we don’t know details, perhaps this man was overwhelmed with guilt over something he had done in the past. For years he was paralyzed emotionally and spiritually as well as physically. So first, Jesus had to set him free from his guilt, saying, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” Then, he said, “Take up your mat and walk.”

 

Paul once had the same problem. He thought the problem was in his body. So three times he pleaded with the Lord to take it away from him. But the problem was his heart. So Lord Jesus healed his heart, saying, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Cor 12:8). Physical healing didn’t come. He still had a thorn in his flesh. But now Paul rejoices and considers it the gift from God. While I was in seminary, still discerning my calling, I was depressed – mainly because of my preaching. Unlike my grandfather, who was charismatic, forceful, winsome in his preaching, I was nervous and inarticulate. So I was considering quitting ministry. But more than three times God said to me the same message through different people: “You are called to preach. You already have an anointing from me.” Even after this, externally nothing changed. I am still slow of speech and inarticulate. But my heart is healed. So I preach boldly and joyfully today.

 

Called to Be a Stretcher-Bearer

There is another important lesson we can learn from today’s scripture. Verse 5 says that Jesus healed the man, because of his friends’ faith. Who are the people who would pick you up, tear off the roof, and lower you to Jesus? We need stretcher-bearers. I still remember when I was in third grade, I almost lost my hearing in my right ear because of a middle-ear infection. I prayed for a while, then I gave up. But my grandfather never gave up. He prayed, prayed, prayed for more than three years. One day he called me on the phone with great excitement and said, “My prayers have been answered. You are healed.” I didn’t know what to say. After this, all of sudden, I realized I was able to hear when someone talked me from the right side. My grandfather was my stretcher-bearer.

 

Not only do we need stretcher-bearers, but also we are called to be stretcher-bearers. Yesterday evening I got a text from one of my friends, asking how I was doing. He and I haven’t talked to each other for more than two years. But after small talk, I learned that he has serious kidney disease, receiving dialysis three times a week. He said, “Well, if I don’t get a kidney transplant, my life is cut dramatically.” He also went through a divorce recently. He has been estranged from his family, especially his father. He is a skeptic. But it was a God’s timing. He was contemplative, searching, listening. I shared the good news with him, and at the end I prayed for his spiritual healing. He promised that he would read the Gospels and pray to God. After this, I could feel how much God loves him and wants to heal him.

 

It’s amazing when we think about 80-90 percent of Jesus’ ministry took place in the region of Galilee – approximately 25 miles radius. But his ministry to a particular people and place was a ministry to the world. His ministry for a particular corner of the world changed the whole world. Jesus started with one person next to him, so should we. We can reach out to one person, love that person, bring that person to Jesus. Jesus still forgives sins. Jesus still heals our bodies and our hearts. Jesus still sets people free. Let us come to Jesus and be healed. Let us be stretcher-bearers for our neighbors – one person at a time.

 

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[1] Thomas Sappington, “Demon Possession,” The Gospel Coalition, https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/essay/demon-possession/

“Jordan River to the Wilderness” (Mark 1:1-13) - The Life of Jesus –

Mary and Elizabeth

“Art is long and life is short.” This proverb reminds us of the permanence of art and the fleeting nature of human life. While I was visiting the Holy Land, there were several moments where this proverb came to my mind. The Church of the Visitation was one of them. This church was built to honor Mary, the mother of Jesus, who visited Elizabeth after she heard the news of Elizabeth’s pregnancy. The façade of the church is adorned by a beautiful mosaic. The inside of the church contains several paintings that tell us the story of Mary and Elizabeth. The external wall of the church is decorated with Mary’s praise, known as the Magnificat (Luke 1:46-55) in many different languages. As I was walking around the church yard, once again I experienced the power of artistic imagination. I felt like all the artworks were taking me back to the times of Mary and Elizabeth, connecting the dots. 

The Bible says Mary and Elizabeth were “relatives” or “kinswomen” (Luke 1:36). Apparently, Elizabeth was an important person in Mary’s life. When Mary discovered Elizabeth was pregnant, she immediately left Nazareth and traveled for nine days to visit Elizabeth in Ein Karem, just outside Jerusalem. There Mary stayed for three months to help her cousin or aunt Elizabeth until she gave birth to her son John.

Jesus and John

John and Jesus were cousins, born about six months apart, with mothers who were very close. You may recall that in Jesus’ time all Jews should make a pilgrimage to Jerusalem three times a year (Passover, Shavuout, and Sukkot). Each feast lasted for a week. And those who visited Jerusalem typically stayed with their closet of kin. There was a good chance that Mary and Joseph would stay with Elizabeth and Zachariah during those annual feasts. So every year perhaps John and Jesus would spend time together, play together, dream of God’s kingdom together since they were young.

John and Jesus had many things in common. Both of them had a miraculous birth. They were six months apart in age. They had a shared mission from God, calling people to repent and be part of the kingdom of God. When the time had come, John started his ministry first.

Qumran

The Bible says that John was in the wilderness until he began his public ministry (Luke 1:80). Many scholars assumed that John would have belonged to the Qumran community. At that time, a group of people, called Essenes, set themselves apart and moved here to Qumran to prepare the way of the Lord in the wilderness (Isa 40:3). Their lifestyle was quite simple and focused. They lived in tents and caves. They got up early in the morning, did their physical labor (farming, hunting, pottery, laundry, and so on). Then, about noon, there was a ritual bath followed by a ritual meal, and in the afternoon they studied and copied the Scriptures, and kept the scrolls in the jars. Unfortunately, the Romans destroyed Qumran in 68 AD, and the Qumran community was not known to the world until 1947. A shepherd boy searching for a lost goat threw a stone into one of the caves and heard a jar breaking. Then, the scrolls were found in eleven of the caves.

Anyhow, for the Qumran Essenes a ritual bath was extremely important. Visiting the ruins of Qumran, you can see multiple baptistries called mikveh that were used for a ritual bath. Usually, mikvehs contain two sets of stairs, so that the bather goes down ritually unclean and exits on the opposite side ritually clean. For the Essenes, a ritual bath was a daily practice as a sign of their desire for purification and holy living. It was also a means of signifying a new birth, drowning to the old person and coming out of the water as the new. The practice of the ritual bath serves as the origin of the Christian baptism. It helps us to understand why John so emphasized to be baptized as he preached the message of repentance. For John and his followers, baptism was an expression of their desire to be clean before God, and also a sign of God’s forgiveness.

The Jordan River

And so John appeared in the wilderness, preaching a baptism of repentance that leads to forgiveness of sins. “Repent, because God’s kingdom is here.” People responded from all different places – Judea, Jericho (6 miles) and Jerusalem (30 miles). They went out to see and hear John, they confessed their sins, then they were baptized in the Jordan River. The Jordan River is a very meaningful place for the Jews and Christians. It was in this very place that Joshua and the Israelites cross the Jordan and entered the Promised Land. It was in this very place that Naaman was healed. It was in this place that Elijah left this world, and John began his ministry here. Most importantly, it was in the Jordan River that our Lord Jesus Christ was baptized. After 42 years as a closed military zone (covered in mines), the historical site where Jesus was baptized was now open to the public since 2011. When our conference team was there to have our baptismal renewal service there, Israeli soldiers were standing their watch on one side of the river, Jordanian on the other. There we praised Jesus who came to this world as the Prince of peace. There we renewed our baptismal vows to live as messengers of peace.

Back to the story. One day Jesus came all the way from Nazareth in Galilee (65 miles) and arrived at the Jordan River and said to John, “Baptize me, brother!” John was confused and said, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” Jesus insisted, “Let it be so now; for it is proper for us in this way to fulfill all righteousness.” Then John agreed, and Jesus was baptized. Why must Jesus who knew no sin receive the baptism of repentance? The answer is Jesus waded into the water not for his sake, but for ours. In his baptism, Jesus identified with sinners. “For our sake he [God] made him [Jesus] to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Cor 5:21, NRSV). John proclaimed, “Look, the lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29)

At the moment when Jesus was baptized, he broadened the meaning and application of baptism. By that time, baptism was for the forgiveness of sins. But when Jesus was baptized, the heavens were torn apart and the Holy Spirit came down upon him. Not only that, there was a voice saying, “You are my beloved Son, with you I am well pleased.” Since then, when we are baptized by faith in the name of Jesus, we are also baptized with his Holy Spirit as well as with water (cf. Mark 1:8). When we are baptized, we are adopted into God’s family, we become God’s beloved. When Martin Luther struggled with bouts of depression, when he was at his lowest, he would look into the mirror and say to himself, “Martin Luther, you are baptized. Don’t forget.” Baptism is once for life, but we need to remember our baptism every day. I prepared a simple prayer and printed it out for you. I invite us to hang this prayer somewhere in the bathroom and to recite the prayer when we step into the water or wash our face each morning. The card says:

Lord, as I enter the water to bathe,

I remember my baptism.

Wash me anew.

Fill me with your Spirit.

Give me strength to love

And to live as your beloved child today

And honor you in all that I do. Amen.[1]

Through our baptism, we are forgiven, anointed with the Spirit, and called by God, “You are my beloved.”

The Judean Wilderness

Right after Jesus was baptized and coming up out of the water, by the Holy Spirit he was led to the Judean wilderness, just as Israel had been led to the wilderness centuries before. Both Jesus and Israel faced the same challenging test in the wilderness by the heavenly Father: “Will you trust me no matter what? Will you choose me over the fundamentals for survival?” Israel failed. They complained about the lack of food and water. They followed after other gods. Jesus remained faithful. He chose to trust God over food, health, wealth, fame, power. He chose to trust God’s word: “Man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord” (Matt 4:4).

David also spent time in this wilderness. As a shepherd, he had to move his flock to the wilderness pastures. During the Holy Land pilgrimage, I saw Bedouin shepherds with their flocks here and there in the wilderness. It was amazing to see how the members of the flock follow their shepherd. Probably David also observed how his flock trusted him and followed him. He longed to trust the Lord in the same way. His prayers and thoughts turned into words, the psalm of trust, Psalm 23. I prepared another prayer adapted from Psalm 23 and printed it out for you. I want to invite us to share this prayer with those who are facing seasons of wilderness in their lives.

Lord, in the wilderness

I remember who you are.

God, you are my Shepherd,

I lack nothing.

Whether I am led into green pastures,

or into Death Valley,

I’m not afraid,

for you are with me.

I choose to trust you today,

and follow you all the days of my life. Amen.

 

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[1] Prayer adapted from Adam Hamilton, The Way, (Abingdon Press, 2016), Kindle Edition. Location 309 of 2317.  

“Little Town of Bethlehem” (Luke 2:1-12) - The Life of Jesus –

Bethlehem

“But you, O Bethlehem of Ephrathah,

who are one of the little clans of Judah,

from you shall come forth for me one who is to rule in Israel,

whose origin is from of old, from ancient days.”

(Micah 5:2)

David was born in Bethlehem, contrary to Saul, who was described as standing head and shoulders above all the others. David was the 8^th and youngest son of Jesse. He was a shepherd boy, forgotten and ignored even by his own family when Samuel came to anoint a next king of Israel. The prophet Micah led by the Spirit prophesied that the Messiah must come not from the citadel of mighty Jerusalem, but from the lowly village of Bethlehem. The name Bethlehem means "House of Bread." Probably the people of Bethlehem – farmers, millers, and bakers – would supply bread for larger and more important nearby city, Jerusalem. Probably people would say, “Can anything good come out of Bethlehem?” Bethlehem was considered a town of low esteem. But God, instead of Jerusalem, chose Bethlehem to be the birth place of the Messiah. This is God’s recurring theme found throughout the Gospels over and over again. God humbles the proud, but lifts up the humble.

Joseph and Mary

Joseph was from Bethlehem. He had to take the journey to Bethlehem to register, because a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. The purpose of census was not simply to know how many people were living. It was taken to tax people to the maximum. So now, everyone had to go to their hometown to register. Joseph and Mary had to travel all the way from Nazareth to Bethlehem even though she was about to give birth. They had to travel 90 miles – about thirty hours to walk. If Joseph and Mary walked 17 to 19 miles a day, it would take at least five days. I want us to try to put ourselves in Mary’s shoes, a woman who was due to soon give birth to her first baby. I wonder where they stayed each night, where they camped along the way.  I still vividly remember when Joyce had been pregnant with our first baby Lydia. In particular, I remember the day when Joyce suddenly began to have contractions. It was two weeks earlier than the due date. No family was around at that time. The contractions were getting longer, stronger, closer together. Joyce and I were in panic mode. We ran into the hospital at night. But they sent us back home, because the contractions were not close enough yet. So we had to stay up all night at home, back and forth to the hospital.

Mary was about to give birth to a baby anytime soon on the journey. To make things worse, when they finally arrived in Bethlehem, there was no “guest room” available for them. In Judea, caves are plentiful. Many built their home over a natural cave. Their typical home had two floors – a basement (natural cave) used as the barn for the family’s livestock, and the upstairs was used for the family’s living area and a guest room. There was no guest room available upstairs, so Mary had to go to the cave-barn for delivery her baby in the basement.

When we ponder about Jesus’ birthplace, we realize that our God is the God of the lowly. The Messiah, King of the universe was born in the cave-barn. He was born homeless. Later in 339 AD, Queen Helena dedicated the first church over the cave-barn. There is a short door in the church of the Nativity in Bethlehem which makes everyone have to bow low to enter; it is called the eye of the needle. (In the picture) the highest lintel was the original entrance, the lower arch is Crusader, the tiny door was made by the Ottoman Turks. They abused the building, allowing in animals to enter through the door. Even after the church was recaptured by British army, the decision was made to leave the door as it was – as a reminder that Jesus the Messiah is the God of the humble.

Shepherds

When Jesus was born, night-shift shepherds were on the hillsides not far from Bethlehem. In Jesus’ time, shepherds were not held in high esteem among the townsfolk. They were often seen as uneducated, unsophisticated, and unclean. Among shepherds, night-shift shepherds were the lowest. Then, why did angels appear to the night-shift shepherds? Because they were the lowest of the low. During his trip, Adam Hamilton had a chance to speak with Palestinians in Bethlehem. He asked Ibrahim, one of the shepherds, why God chose to invite the shepherds to be the first to see and celebrate the birth of Jesus. He responded instantly, "Because Jesus was humble, and shepherds are humble."

When we visit Bethlehem, one of the places we may be taken is the “shepherd’s fields.”  There we find an interesting cave that gives us a glimpse of what a cave dwelling for shepherds may have looked like at the time of Jesus. The night-shift shepherds often kept their flocks in the cave and protected them from predators, sitting at the door of the cave. The angels suddenly appeared to them and said to them, “I bring you good news for all the people. Today in Bethlehem a Savior was born to you, the Messiah, the Lord. The sign is this: you will see a baby lying in a manger.” I am sure the shepherds would easily and immediately feel connected, when they visited Jesus who was in the cave-barn, lying in a manger. God chose Bethlehem, God chose Mary and Joseph, God chose night-shift shepherds. Our God is the God of the lowly.

God of the Lowly

I have been asked several times so far, “What was your favorite place in the Holy Land?” Though it is hard to pinpoint one particular place, I would say that Bethlehem gave me a strong impression. Bethlehem is in Palestinian territory. When I was there, the first thing I noticed was Israel’s checkpoint. Then, the West Bank wall. Millions visit Bethlehem every year, especially Christmas season, to fulfill their religious duties, but Palestinians who live there are struggling to survive.

For me personally, I am grateful for our Bishop. For missional purposes, our team intentionally started our pilgrimage from Bethlehem, staying 3 nights there out of 8 days of the journey, in order to take enough time to see, listen, ponder, as well as to financially support Palestinian Christians. One day I visited Bethlehem Bible College, there I listened to their daily struggles. For example, in the West Bank, Israeli settlers consume about six times the amount of water used by the Palestinians. According the World Bank, the GDP figure in Israel in 2018 is $41,715, whereas in the Palestinian territories it is $3,199.13.[1] One evening I was invited to Palestinian family’s home for dinner. I listened to their stories. They live in poor surroundings, limited access to medical services, education and job opportunities. They have to obtain special permits to cross to Jerusalem. One evening I visited the Walled Off Hotel, the worst view in the world. This hotel is facing the West Bank wall. There I appreciated the artwork of Banksy. I was able to feel a longing for peace and harmony. Out of all this, my favorite place was Hope School. This school is known to the community as “the second chance school.” Hope School was founded by the Mennonites in 1962 and began as a secondary school for dropouts, orphans, and special-needs children. Their guiding values are love, peace, justice, and coexistence. Christian and Muslim students learn and live side by side at this school. There I met the God of hope, the God of peace, the God of the lowly.

Compassion

This past week my prayer has been this: “Lord, kindle the fires of compassion in me,” because I felt numb in the midst of the Ukraine crisis. In Latin, ‘compati’ means “suffer with.” Compassion means someone else’s heartbreak becomes my heartbreak. Another’s suffering becomes my suffering.

The compassion of Christ can be clearly seen in the Gospels. Jesus was moved with compassion, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he taught them many things. Jesus was moved with compassion, so he touched and healed the sick. Jesus was moved with compassion, so he wept and comforted the grieving. Jesus was moved with compassion, so he fed the people. Jesus was moved with compassion, so he (the Word) became flesh and blood, and lived among us.

May we be moved with compassion with the people of Ukraine. May we be moved with compassion with the people of Palestine. May we be moved with compassion with those in distress among us and around us. May we feel their pain and take positive action to relieve their suffering. May we pray that God will forgive us when our hearts are cold and kindle the flames of compassion in us, given by the Spirit. Amen and Amen.

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[1] Munther Isaac, The Other Side of the Wall (p. 11). InterVarsity Press. Kindle Edition.