Good morning…
I apologize about the challenges we are experiencing with our blog posts this week. The time change is something I am still trying to negotiate. I think I have figured out a solution, so hopefully we will move more smoothly into our morning messages from here on out. If you missed some of our earlier posts from Israel this week, please touch on the “Previous” button in the top right corner of this page as many times as needed.
We stood yesterday at a place that Jesus definitely stood with his disciples. Listen to the description of his teaching. When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?”
They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”
“But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”
Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”
Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven. And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it (Matthew 16:13-18, NIV).
We stood right in front of a huge rock face dropping straight into pool of stagnant water. This is where human and animal sacrifices occurred, this was a pagan place where people made altars to worship their various gods. At this ugly place Jesus and declared a new thing. “I will build my church the a rock of the living God, with people who hear the revelation of my heavenly Father. The gates of Hades will not overcome my church.”
After a fascinating day of travel, viewing amazing sites, we enjoyed a gorgeous sunset and a fun filled happy hour before our delicious dinner together. We ended Day #3 nestled into our cozy kibbutz right beside the Sea of Galilee.
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Day 4 -Tuesday March 8 – Notes from Rev. Steve Allen
Sea of Galilee- Matthew 8:23-34, Mark 4:35-41
Mt. of Beatitudes-Matthew 5
Primacy of Peter- John 21
Jordan River- Mark 1, Matthew 3, Luke 3
Capernaum- Mark 1 – 2
Today’s word of the day is barak in Hebrew and makarios in Greek. This word means blessing. “Baruch Hatah Adonai Melech Olam” is translated “Blessed are you, O God, King of the Universe.”
In Hebrew – barak – blessings are not about what we get. If you lived right – focused on righteous living – you were blessed. To the Greek mind, the gods were the blessed. They had achieved a state of happiness, beyond all cares.
What does it mean to be blessed in our mind? What are our blessings? We always say, “We’re so blessed.” As long as things go well for us. Health. Possessions. The avoidance of pain.
Today we visit the sites of Jesus’ greatest teachings where he recasts what it means to be blessed – the Mt. of Beatitudes, Capernaum, The Primacy of Peter, the Jordan River.
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Mirroring the experience of Moses going up to Mt. Sinai to receive the Ten Commandments. Jesus ascends the Mt. of Beatitudes to teach a crowded hillside an expanded notion of the blessing of God. Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, and he began to teach them. He said:
“Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled.
Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called children of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
“Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you (Matthew 5:1-12, NIV).
We always say, “We’re so blessed.” As long as things go well for us. Health. Possessions. The avoidance of pain. Jesus expands our view of what it means to be blessed by God. He counts as blessed those who faithfully face challenges with God, developing an eternal sense of joy and gladness.
…Sue…
