He went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem.

 This morning we left the Sea of Galilee and made our way to Jerusalem via Jericho.

Sunlight breaks through the clouds as we prepared to leave the Sea of Galilee

Our morning prayer Gospel started with the parable Jesus told in Jericho immediately before he went up to Jerusalem. 

While the people were listening, Jesus went on to tell a parable, because he was near Jerusalem and they imagined that the kingdom of God was going to show itself then and there. Accordingly he said, 'A man of noble birth went to a distant country to be appointed king and afterwards return. He summoned ten of his servants and gave them ten pounds. "Do business with these" he told them "until I get back." But his compatriots detested him and sent a delegation to follow him with this message, "We do not want this man to be our king."

'Now on his return, having received his appointment as king, he sent for all those servants to whom he had given the money, to find out what profit each had made. The first came in and said, "Sir, your one pound has brought in ten." "Well done, my good servant!" he replied. "Since you have proved yourself faithful in a very small thing, you shall have the government of ten cities." Then came the second and said, "Sir, your one pound has made five." To this one also he said, "And you shall be in charge of five cities." Next came the other and said, "Sir, here is your pound. I put it away safely in a piece of linen because I was afraid of you; for you are an exacting man: you pick up what you have not put down and reap what you have not sown." "You wicked servant!" he said "Out of your own mouth I condemn you. So you knew I was an exacting man, picking up what I have not put down and reaping what I have not sown? Then why did you not put my money in the bank? On my return I could have drawn it out with interest." And he said to those standing by, "Take the pound from him and give it to the man who has ten pounds." And they said to him, "But, sir, he has ten pounds …" "I tell you, to everyone who has will be given more; but from the man who has not, even what he has will be taken away.

' "But as for my enemies who did not want me for their king, bring them here and execute them in my presence." '

When he had said this he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem.

And so we started our journey for Jerusalem, singing the Galilee Song as, life the fishermen, we left the beautiful Sea of Galilee.

So I leave my boats behind!

Leave them on familiar shores!

Set my heart upon the deep!

Follow you again, my Lord!

Our first stop was to the archaelogical remains at Beit She'an. Scythopolis as it was known by the Roman was refounded and rebuilt from about 63 BC. 

The theatre

The bath house

The cardo - the main shopping street

The pedestrian area either side of the road

The shops in behind

Please don't be scandalised... they think this was the public brothel

The public toilets

Group bonding on the public latrine

Before the War of Independence that led to the formation of the state of Israel the population of the town had been entirely Muslim and Christian. It was captured by the Haganah in May 1948. The battle over the town during Operation Gideon caused most of its inhabitants to flee, and the remainder were expelled. The town was then resettled exclusively by Jewish immigrants.

The next stop was to the ancient city of Jericho, in the State of Palestine. Jericho is claimed to be the oldest city in the world and is 258 metres below! sea level. Archaeologists have unearthed the remains of more than 20 successive settlements in Jericho, the first of which dates back 11,000 years (to 9000 BC),  Jericho is described in the Bible as the "city of palm trees".

Mass was in the Parish of the Good Shepherd. We changed our Mass time enroute so we were in a simple little chapel above the junior section of the primary school. Outside we heard the constant tooting of the traffic. From below there was the sound of little children. And as we prayed the Eucharistic Prayer the call to prayer resounded from the mosque across the road. At our sharing in the evening someone made lamented that it is impossible for a Christian from Jericho to visit Jerusalem and the holy sites of Jerusalem.

As we drove to Jericho we had reflected on Jesus healing the blind man, Bartimaeus

As Jesus was leaving Jericho with his disciples and a large crowd, Bartimaeus (that is, the son of Timaeus), a blind beggar, was sitting at the side of the road.  When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout and to say, 'Son of David, Jesus, have pity on me.'  And many of them scolded him and told him to keep quiet, but he only shouted all the louder, 'Son of David, have pity on me.'  Jesus stopped and said, 'Call him here.'  So they called the blind man.  'Courage,' they said 'get up; he is calling you.'  So throwing off his cloak, he jumped up and went to Jesus.  Then Jesus spoke, 'What do you want me to do for you?'  'Rabbuni,' the blind man said to him 'Master, let me see again.'  Jesus said to him, 'Go; your faith has saved you.'  And immediately his sight returned and he followed him along the road.

- Mark 10:46-52

Then for the Gospel of the Mass we had the account of the tax collector Zacchaeus.

Jesus entered Jericho and was going through the town when a man whose name was Zacchaeus  made his appearance; he was one of the senior tax collectors and a wealthy man. He was anxious to see what kind of man Jesus was, but he was too short and could not see him for the crowd; so he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree to catch a glimpse of Jesus who was to pass that way. When Jesus reached the spot he looked up and spoke to him: 'Zacchaeus, come down here. Hurry, because I must stay at your house today.' And he hurried down and welcomed him joyfully. They all complained when they saw what was happening. 'He has gone to stay at a sinner's house' they said. But Zacchaeus stood his ground and said to the Lord, 'Look, sir, I am going to give half my property to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody I will pay them back four times the amount.' And Jesus said to him, 'Today salvation has come to this house, because this man too is a son of Abraham; for the Son of Man has come to seek out and save what was lost.'

Luke 19:1-10

In both gospels there were people building walls... With Bartimaeus many of the crowd scolded him and told him to keep quiet. And with Zacchaeus they all complained when they saw what was happening. 'He has gone to stay at a sinner's house' they said. 

But Jesus heard the blind man... Jesus saw the silly little man in the tree. Jesus notices.

But so easily we try not to see the people on our streets. So easily we don't want to hear when people ask for help.

When Bartimaeus was told, Courage, get up; he is calling you,'  So throwing off his cloak, he jumped up and went to Jesus. The blind man threw off his cloak that would have been his protection from sun and rain, wind blown dust, from dogs sniffing around and indifferent and intolerant passers by. If Jesus didn't come through his cloak was lost. Someone would be sure to steal it. Bartimaeus again shows us what discipleship is, casting aside everything and going to Jesus, following him.

And Zacchaeus too, despite the protests of the crowd, casts off what possessed and imprisoned him, giving half his property to the poor, and repaying those he cheated four times the amount.

Jesus comes to bring liberation and salvation, breaking down walls with arms outstretched in love. And so Jesus left Jericho where he cast off everything in trust of his Father and stretched out his arms on the cross for our liberation and salvation. 

In doing so Jesus embodied our first reading... 

Avoid getting into debt, except the debt of mutual love. If you love your fellow men you have carried out your obligations. All the commandments: You shall not commit adultery, you shall not kill, you shall not steal, you shall not covet, and so on, are summed up in this single command: You must love your neighbour as yourself. Love is the one thing that cannot hurt your neighbour; that is why it is the answer to every one of the commandments.

- Romans 13:8-10

Street scenes in Jericho

Even though we were next to the Mount of Temptation where supposedly Jesus spent his forty days in the wilderness and despite my spiritual guidance...

So many in our group fell into the temptation of shopping...

and smoking

The City of Dates

Our next stop was the view of the Monastery of St George of Choziba, in Wadi Qelt (the Qelt Valley). This path up the Wadi was the old way from Jericho to Jerusalem.

There was a lawyer who, to disconcert Jesus, stood up and said to him, 'Master, what must I do to inherit eternal life?' He said to him, 'What is written in the Law? What do you read there?' He replied, 'You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbour as yourself.' 'You have answered right,' said Jesus 'do this and life is yours.'

But the man was anxious to justify himself and said to Jesus, 'And who is my neighbour?' Jesus replied 'A man was once on his way down from Jerusalem to Jericho and fell into the hands of brigands; they took all he had, beat him and then made off, leaving him half dead.  Now a priest happened to be travelling down the same road, but when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side.  In the same way a Levite who came to the place saw him, and passed by on the other side.  But a Samaritan traveller who came upon him was moved with compassion when he saw him.  He went up and bandaged his wounds, pouring oil and wine on them.  He then lifted him on to his own mount, carried him to the inn and looked after him.  Next day, he took out two denarii and handed them to the innkeeper. "Look after him," he said "and on my way back I will make good any extra expense you have." Which of these three, do you think, proved himself a neighbour to the man who fell into the brigands' hands?' 'The one who took pity on him' he replied.  Jesus said to him, 'Go, and do the same yourself.'

Luke 10:25-37

It's interesting isn't it, Jesus identifies with the Samaritan, the foreigner, not the ones considered to be righteous. Would he identify with us?

When Jesus drew near to Jerusalem and came in sight of the city he shed tears over it... as we arrived in Jerusalem the skies shed tears...

I rejoiced when I heard them say: "Let us go to God's house."

And now our feet are standing within your gates, O Jerusalem.

Jerusalem is built as a city strongly compact.

It is there that the tribes go up, the tribes of the Lord.

For Israel's law it is, there to praise the Lord's name.

There were set the thrones of judgment of the house of David.

For the peace of Jerusalem pray: "Peace be to your homes!

May peace reign in your walls, in your palaces, peace!"

For love of my family and friends I say: "Peace upon you!"

For love of the house of the Lord I will ask for your good. 

Psalm 121