Israel has some amazing vistas. One of the most photogenic countries in the world, It not only has some remarkable sights, but they all hold some very intriguing connections to biblical history.
We stood on the top of Mount Carmel and had a fantastic view of the Jezreel Valley. Not only fantastic, but amazing. Mount Carmel is the location where Elijah was victorious over the prophets of Baal. We could see Nazareth (Mary and Joseph's home town) across the other side to the east, Meggido to the south (a key location that is mentioned in Revelation), and just a little farther east, the Sea of Galilee, the area where much of Jesus' healing, teaching, and preaching took place.
I guess I hadn't realized how close these important locations are together - visually. On a clear day, you can see everything that is happening right in front of you. This is true if you are standing on Mount Carmel or Meggido or Mount Precipice (which is just south of Nazareth). Even though the distance between Mount Carmel and Nazareth is 45 miles, it is a tremendous advantage to have possession of any one of these locations in order to ward off enemy advances.
And not only the connection of these places, but the locations around the Sea of Galilee where Jesus spent much of his time in ministry with the people. Capernaum (which was Jesus' home base of operations) is on the northeastern side of the Sea. Bethsaida is just down the road - there Jesus spoke in the synagogue. Tabgha and Tiberius - key locations that had significant impact on the disciples and their walk with Jesus. The Mount of Beatitudes was the place where Jesus launched his ministry with the disciples.
The point is that these locations are also relatively close together. But saying that they are close together is easier said today than in Jesus' time. You can drive from Tiberius to Capernaum in about 15-20 minutes. It might be a half day's journey in Jesus' time. Can you imagine walking 18 miles? Even riding a donkey would take a while. So not only are these locations connected and close together, they also indicate that Jesus and his disciples must have been in pretty decent shape in order to travel these distances.
The bible doesn't always give us a sense of time between Jesus' appearances - one day he is in one location, the next story he might be somewhere else. What it doesn't really tell us is the energy Jesus and his disciples needed to get from one place to another. My steps meter is off the charts with just three days in Israel. I cannot even imagine what Jesus' Fitbit would be registering - he and his disciples had to be in great shape.
That makes me realize something: the energy it took for Jesus to do what he did was not only unparalleled, but it was so selfless. He gave us everything without regard to his own well being. I can only wonder what the disciples felt when Jesus told them it was time to move on. His drive to help people see what he saw is something so easy for us to overlook. His life was (and still is) completely dedicated to helping us see the truth of God's love.
I can take another step because of his great love for me. How about you?
Tomorrow we are off to the Dead Sea and more stories of the Holy Land and how much God loves us.
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