I am with you always to the end of the age.
Matthew 28:20
Our congregational study begins in a few weeks and we’re taking a journey. We will be following Jesus through the Holy Land with well-known Christian author Max Lucado.
A few years ago (right before the pandemic broke) I had the opportunity to visit many of the sites that we will be looking at in the video series. I enjoyed the opportunity to explore the history, culture and geography of Israel. Here are some of the things I noticed.
In the United States we have a relatively short history and a huge country. Israel is the opposite. The entire Holy Land can fit in the state of Indiana over four times. The distance from the northern to the modern southern border is roughly the same as travelling from the Michigan state line to Kentucky. The Holy Land has a long history. I was asking my guide about the different walls that surround Jerusalem. He referred to one set as the modern walls. I asked when they were constructed. He told me they dated to around the 1500’s.
There are many significant archeological discoveries in the past seventy years. David’s palace and the pool of Bethsaida have revealed many interesting insights into life in Jerusalem in the days of the Bible. A first century synagogue in Magdala (Mary Magdalene’s hometown) has been partially excavated and restored. Capernaum (Peter’s hometown) has seen significant exploration as well. All of these discoveries have helped us to know more about the places and people and customs that we read about in the Bible.
Many ancient and modern churches that have been built up around the Biblical sites. You can meditate at a church that is built near the Garden of Gethsemane or at the site of the Sermon on the Mount or even the site of Jesus birth in Bethlehem. While the provenance of some of these churches can be debated, it is fascinating to be close to where some of the events of Scripture took place. I appreciated the opportunity to walk the steps of temple in Jerusalem, almost certainly a place where Jesus also walked.
Different Christian traditions place different emphasis on pilgrimages to the Holy Land. My visit got me to thinking about how Lutherans approach a theology of place. The Holy Land
is important because it reminds us that Jesus was a real historical figure, and the Bible is a story of real people and real places. But we don’t have to go to the Holy Land to be close to Jesus. His promise is that He sends his spirit through His Word. And he promises that as we receive the bread and wine of communion that he dwells in us. Making a journey to the Holy Land is a great blessing and a wonderful experience. But so is travelling to the altar on a Sunday morning to meet Jesus and to receive His real presence with fellow travelers on this journey.
In Christ,
Pastor Mark Schumm
