Day 4

Sepphoris- Zippori- “bird”
During the reign of King Agrippa II, Sepphoris was the capital of Galilee. From the top of a building where there was an explanation of the mishna (6 commentaries on the torah) you could see where Nazareth would have been. Through the ruins you could still see the original roads that went through the center of town. There were detailed mosaics covering the floors of public buildings. We walked through the main building which was thought to have belonged to a wealthy Jewish family- yet you see the influence of the Roman culture in their floors. Greek images such as Hercules and pictures of people- the “Mona Lisa of Israel”. In orthodox homes no graven images are allowed so you would not have seen pictures of faces. The question becomes were they compromising their beliefs? Was it simply going with the current fashions and trends? A clear reminder of how difficult it is to stay true to your own culture in a multicultural world, or to be in the world but not of it. As Jesus was being raised in the small town of Nazareth, this was the neighboring ‘big city’. When the revolt against Rome occurred and the subsequent burning of the second temple, many of the Jews had escaped to Sepphoris. It became a thriving center, experiencing economic growth. It is thought that Joseph and Jesus probably worked here as builders before Jesus started his ministry. We spent some time here reflecting on what Jesus’ childhood would have been like.

Aaron gave us some things to consider while there:
We know Nazareth at that time was a tiny town, the kind of place everyone knows about everyone’s business. Mary gets pregnant out of wedlock. Joseph marries her after the angel appears to him, but still everyone knows. We don’t know if he was teased by other kids, if he was looked down on or maybe pitied for his parent’s ‘mistake’. When we do get a glimpse of him at 12, he is in the synagogue. In that time, education is based on ability. If you had an aptitude, you would be placed under a rabbi to continue your education. Jesus clearly has an aptitude, as the rabbis were amazed at his understanding and answers (Luke 2:47), so why did he not train under a rabbi? Did he have to go help support his family since they were not wealthy? We don’t know when he knew he was the messiah. We don’t know what Mary told him. Maybe he always knew, maybe the voice at his baptism was his confirmation. We do know that as he entered into the wilderness in his temptation and confrontation with Satan, he asked “If you are the son of God…” Was this a play on doubts, the struggle of identity, the questioning of who are you in God? Jesus was fully human; he experienced struggles and pain (Phil 2).

Frank talked about the parable in Luke 19:11-15. This parable paralleled an actual ‘current event’ that was happening at that time. Herod had died and his sons had gone to contest the will. There was a Jewish delegation that followed in an attempt to prevent Archelaus from ruling. This would have been part of the ‘talk of the town’. Jesus used contemporary events and culture to teach. He drew on words from the theatre (hypocrite) to demonstrate spiritual applications. Jesus knew what was going on in the world around him and used it artfully to engage the attention of those around him.

I also learned about the different books used in Judaism. The Torah- the first 5 books of our old testament, is called the law. The Tenauch is the Jewish Bible, which includes the books through Psalms, and a few others from what we call the Old Testament. The Mishna and Talmud were written later after Jesus. These gave some redirection in Jewish thought after the loss of the second temple. So much of the Jewish religion had centered around the dwelling place of God- the holy of holies, there had to be some restructuring due to the missing structure. Many Jews did not know what to do after the destruction of the temple so rabbis wrote interpretations of the Torah meant to guide and direct. But there can never be a replacement for the original scriptures. Even today while commentaries can be a useful tool, we must look to the scriptures ourselves. I must use scripture to understand and explain other scriptures. I must not become lazy and rely solely on what someone else thinks.

Nazareth Village
This was Colonial Williamsburg, Nazareth style. We entered an area that replicated what life would have been like 2000 years ago. It started through a gate that had a much smaller door within called the ‘eye of the needle’. Once you entered you were transported into a rural area, we walked along the dirt path looking at the wheat field and beautiful wild flowers. We were able to see the tools that would have been used at that time to cut down the wheat and sift the grain. We saw young shepherd boys trying to keep the goats in a pen. There was a wine press in a rocky area, terraces set up for crops, olive trees and an olive press, as well as a millstone. The oil lamps that would have been used at that time were demonstrated and we even received a replica. There was a demonstration of common tools used in that time to create thread and then weave it into material. A gentleman showed us the manual version of the electric drill. We walked through what would have been a house of that time. Again as Jesus used common objects in his teachings, it gave new insights as you learn how weighty a millstone is.

As we entered the synagogue we read through Luke 4:14-30, where Jesus reads Isaiah 61:1 but leaves out ‘day of vengeance’. Jesus was briefly accepted until verse 24- “no prophet is accepted in his hometown”. He points out that while there were many widows in Elijah’s time during the famine, Elijah was sent to Zarephath in Sidon; and while there were many with leprosy in the time of Elisha only Naaman the Syrian was cleansed. In context this was pointing out the places where God had extended mercy to non-Jews. Jesus is basically saying- I am not here for you. The Jewish understanding of the messiah was that of a powerful ruler that would be there for them. They wanted their day of vengeance against Rome, but God had other plans. How often do we want what we want and fail to see God’s love for those ‘other people”? Those other people, those not as nice, not as respectable, not as hardworking, not as smart, not as good in our mind. But God loves us all. He loves that other as much as you and me.

Mt. Tabor
Judges 4 tells part of the story of Deborah. I have to input that as a woman, I am so grateful for her story. Deborah was a leader/judge of Israel. Barak was the commander God had summoned to go to Mt. Tabor and defeat Sisera, but he says- “I will go if you go” to Deborah. She says- if I go, the honor will not be yours, it will go to a woman. So she goes, a woman named Jael kills the commander of the enemy, and God gives Israel the victory, and then peace for 40 years. I guess growing up in a Baptist background, I always felt like I was limited in what I could do through the church because of my gender. But I am not limited in what I can do through God.

Some believe the transfiguration of Jesus also took place on Mt. Tabor, although others believe it was Mt. Hermon. Regardless of where it happened, the disciples present would never see Jesus the same again. I can’t help but think of the Matrix- not in context, only in visual effect, when Neo dives into the agent and then there is a burst of light as he breaks through. I can’t imagine what it must have been like as the disciples got a small glimpse of God’s glory. Glory is shown through light. Revelation talks about there will be no need for the sun because of the light of God’s glory. Moses was present representing the law, Elijah there representing miracles, Jesus directly in the center representing God. Our challenge is to stay with Jesus and remain in balance between legalism and signs/wonders. The beauty of God’s radiance had to be amazing to see. “Most often light comes not as people would like- such as pure light spread sky-wide in bright neon dazzle- but refracted through an altogether different prism, one simultaneously more ambiguous and more personal, by means of touch or embrace, image or sign, glimpse or gaze, sound or music, beauty or horror, meeting or coincidence, forgiveness or blessing. The means are endless and always as new and unique as people themselves. In other words, when the divine does appear, it proves endlessly inventive and astonishing in the instruments of its showing” (G.M. Hopkins- as quoted in Critique).