Archive for December, 2008
Faith Lessons: Pool of Bethesda
Dec 25th
Healing of the Lame Man
John 5:6, “When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he already had been in that condition a long time, He said to him, ‘Do you want to be made well?’”
The Lamb of God stepped through the Sheep Gate just north of the temple precincts. The merchants looked to make eye contact with Jesus, hoping for a sale, but to their disappointment his steps moved purposely by their smelly wares toward the Pool of Bethesda—the “Pool of Mercy.” The pens of bleating merchandise rejoiced that at least one righteous man lived among them, but soon they too would find disappointment as a sinner would step up to make a purchase, carry his lamb to the priest and make sacrifice for his transgressions.
As Jesus neared the pool, the protests of the penned faded, but the moans of men and the despair of disease crescendoed in the Jerusalem air. Surrounding the spring-fed pool lay the sick, the blind, the lame and the withered, longing for a miracle in the waters of mercy that could reportedly bring healing to those placed in the pool when the waters stirred. For thirty-eight years the children of Israel wandered in the despair of desert sands (Deut. 2:14) and for thirty-eight years a nameless man with a nameless infirmity wandered through the corridors of hopelessness—not able to make it to the Promised Land of health, needing only one friend to lower him into the pool of mercy, but finding none.
Hearing healthy footsteps and making shy eye contact with the stranger, disheveled palms reached out to Jesus, hoping for alms. “Do you want to be made well?” Jesus inquired of the man. That’s not what I would have asked, for surely anyone would want a normal, healthy life, and reading on we learn that Jesus did miraculously heal the friendless man. But Jesus knew that his question was not just for one nameless man, but for all men and women of every age, many of whom may not even know the extent of their soul sickness and many who may know but who nevertheless look elsewhere for a hopeful touch of healing, yet finding none.
Today in the Muslim quarter of the Old City of Jerusalem, pilgrims will find a beautiful Crusader church, named St. Anne’s after the grandmother of Jesus. After singing an a cappella hymn in the magnificently acoustical sanctuary, one should walk a handful of steps beyond the church to a railing that overlooks a successful archaeological dig far below the surface of the courtyard, revealing the rubble of the Pool of Bethesda. The moans of men and the bleating of sheep can still be heard in present-day Jerusalem, but the ruins directly below give testimony to a God who offers healing. Not just healing for the body, but healing for the soul. Healing from alcohol or gambling addictions. Healing for a love-starved heart that tragically sought comfort in another’s arms outside of marriage. Healing from a life-long habit of cursing or nagging. Healing for any sin-sickness.
But first I must ask you a familiar question, “Do you want to be made well?” Then look to the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29).
Further Reading: John 5:1-18
Dr. Daniel McCabe is the pastor of Faith Bible Church in Spring, Texas. He is a contributing editor for The Jerusalem Connection Report. He can be reached via email at danielmccabe@juno.com.
Humiliation is Thy Name
Dec 21st
By Victor Sharpe
Israelnationalnews.com
The days pass and Arab aggression grows more blatant and deadly. The world becomes less and less friendly towards the Jewish state, but in turn, the response from Israel’s present leaders – Ehud Olmert, Ehud Barak and Tzipi Livni – can be summed up as humiliation piled upon humiliation.
Both the United States and Russia are rushing to arm Lebanon with new deadly weapons, knowing full well that they will fall into the hands of Hizbullah, yet not a murmur of protest has been heard from the three leaders who have brought Israel to the edge of the abyss. Israel is humiliated.
The farce that was the truce between Hamas and Israel was always a lie. The three politicians, whom the Israeli people endure, bought into a deceptive Arab ploy that any schoolchild could see for what it was.
How many times must it be restated that no Muslim entity, especially Hamas, will ever honor any agreement made with non-Muslims. It is in the Koran for all to see, except, of course, those who lead Israel and choose not to see. Again, the Jewish state is humiliated.
Hamas used the illusory ceasefire to build up its weaponry and defenses, while the Israeli people suffered from intermittent shelling and missile attacks from the Gaza Arabs. Now, the missile barrage grows daily in its intensity and lethality, while the Arabs look at the Jews’ timid response with derision and contempt.
When Hamas announced that the so-called six-month ceasefire was over, Ehud Barak pleaded with them to continue the farce. Again, more humiliation.
The Israeli Supreme Court declared that in the course of responding to Arab aggression from Gaza it is illegal to fire at Arab civilian populations, thus rendering retaliation against Hamas and Islamic Jihad impossible. Meanwhile, the Arabs deliberately aim at Israeli civilians.
If Israel had fought such a war in 1948, then the state would never have been reborn. Sixty years afterwards, Israel no longer stands as the symbol of pride and pluckiness that so many in the world once respected.
Now Israel, under the present government, stoops low like the ghetto Jew. Forced to survive but fearful to strike back at his tormentors, he is always seeking that delusional opiate called “peace,” which is but a bitter herb.
The new Obama administration is looming large for Israel. It will not be friendly. It contains officials hostile to the Jewish state. They will lean with growing brutality upon Israel to force it to give away its Biblical homeland, to make Judea and Samaria judenrein in order to create a new Arab state.
The “two-state solution” will be for the Jews of Israel a new “final solution.” Within the mere fifty miles which is the width of Israel from the Mediterranean Sea to the Jordan River, a hostile Arab state will emerge. What southern Israel has endured from Gaza will be repeated from Judea and Samaria. Israel will be reduced to a nine-mile-wide insanity within lines once called by Abba Eban, “the Auschwitz borders.” Humiliation will give way to annihilation.
Are we to be the generation that witnesses the destruction of the Jewish state; a destruction primarily self-induced by sad and sorry leaders?
How long before a leader returns the Jewish state to a condition of pride in itself and a terror to its enemies? We know it is hated by the world, even though it conducts itself in a more humane way towards its implacable and barbaric Arab foes than any other nation has ever done or would.
Is it not better then to do what it must to survive, knowing that it will be hated anyway? Is there any purpose served in trying to be liked by such a world? Must Israel heap more humiliation upon itself in order to win brownie points from a world that scorns it?
Have not all the past examples of the world’s deceptions and intrigues against the Jewish state taught Israel’s present leaders anything? Alas, it would seem not.
Let this era of humiliation end speedily in our time. With the miracle of Chanukah fresh in our minds and in its spirit of re-dedication, let us pray for a leader like Judah Maccabee to arise and once more give all who love and cherish Eretz Yisrael reason to feel pride and hope.
© Copyright IsraelNationalNews.com
Faith Lessons: Capernaum
Dec 20th
Miracles at Peter’s House
Matthew 8:15, “And He touched her hand, and the fever left her. Then she arose and served them.”
The silhouette of a lone gull glided peacefully above the undisturbed waters of the Sea of Galilee as Sabbath services concluded and worshippers headed home to await sundown and an evening meal of fish, fruit and wine. Finding a welcome bough in the “Village of Nahum,” the gull landed to catch its breath while an unnamed resident of Capernaum in the home just below its resting place lay in bed ravaged by a soaring fever.
Four fishermen and a former carpenter emerged from the synagogue, leaving behind an astonished congregation who marveled at the profundity and power of the day’s message given by the newly arrived young rabbi and miracle-worker from Nazareth who now headquartered his ministry in their bustling town. Having been invited to Andrew and Peter’s home for dinner, Jesus, James, John and their two gracious hosts learned upon arriving that Peter’s mother-in-law lay sick with a high fever. According to the accounts in Matthew 8, Mark 1 and Luke 4, her loved ones immediately requested help from “the Great Physician,” who with the soft touch of his calloused hands cooled her fiery brow and infused her exhausted frame with renewed strength. Restored and invigorated she rose to serve her family and her guests.
Miracles don’t always produce responsive hearts and grateful service—not even in the lives of those directly affected by the Master’s healing words or touch as sadly demonstrated by the story of the ten lepers wherein only one of the ten glorified God and thanked Jesus for his healing (Luke 17:11-19). Unfortunately, still today heaven’s hand can sometimes be followed by hardened hearts. The miracle of conception can be followed by a closed heart that speaks passionately about the “virtue” of choice. The miracle of birth can be followed by a harsh heart that abuses young lives with hostile words or closed fists.
Jesus performed many miracles in and around Capernaum where today only ruins remain of the city’s past glory. He restored the gravely ill servant of the philanthropic Roman centurion who built the city synagogue (Luke 7:1-10); healed the sick and the demon-possessed (Matthew 8:16-17); and gave life to a paralytic’s limbs (Mark 2:1-12); but despite his display of power and compassion most of Capernaum in time rejected the message of Jesus, prompting our Savior to compare their unbelief to that of the people of wicked Sodom, denouncing them with these words, “If the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day” (Matthew 11:23).
When the soft hand of our Savior touches your infirmity of body or soul, rise up and serve him. It may seem unlikely or even impossible that you could find the strength to serve him after all you’ve experienced. A nasty divorce, financial collapse, the loss of your soul mate or a lengthy hospital stay can sap your strength and your hope, but the carpenter’s hand brings healing and renewed vigor. Do not shrug at his majesty and glory only to fall in line behind Sodom and Capernaum on the day of judgment, but rejoice in his power and deity. Rise up to serve him. You will find the strength.
Further Reading: Matthew 8:14-17; Mark 1:29-34; Luke 4:38-41
Dr. Daniel McCabe is the pastor of Faith Bible Church in Spring, Texas. He is a contributing editor for The Jerusalem Connection Report. He can be reached via email at danielmccabe@juno.com.
Faith Lessons: Mount of the Beatitudes
Dec 13th
The Sermon on the Mount
Psalm 1:1, “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful.”
Lincoln had his Gettysburg; Martin Luther King, Jr. had his dream on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial; and Jesus had his Sermon on the Mount. You can probably quote a line or two from each of these famous messages. Lincoln longed to see his war-torn nation discover “a new birth of freedom” in the coming years. Exactly one hundred years later the Birmingham preacher also longed for a day when he would see his four little children living in a nation where they would not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the “content of their character.” Ground-breaking messages for their day, yes, but both rooted in the biblical message that only a nation that knows God will know no hatred or prejudice.
A nation or soul that has a spiritual relationship with Jesus Christ has experienced a changed heart. And changed hearts lead to changed character. In his Sermon on the Mount and specifically in the popular eight beatitudes of Matthew 5:3-10, Jesus explains not what one must do to be forgiven of his sins, but rather what one will look like after he has been forgiven. In fact, one will look remarkably like Jesus.
#1—“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” The poor have little or no means to provide for themselves. The poor in spirit then recognize their need to depend upon God. Only then can they enjoy his rich character.
#2—“Blessed are those who mourn for they shall be comforted.” The mournful know the true depth of their sin. They know that it offends God, yet they turn to him in their brokenness to find the healing for sin that only he can provide.
#3—“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.” The meek have a proper appreciation of their strengths and limitations. They do not long for more than God gives and they rejoice in the successes of others.
#4—“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.” A righteousness-hunger finds no satisfaction in sin. No tolerance for partial obedience. No joy in complacency.
#5—“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.” The merciful show mercy because they have learned the power of mercy in their own lives. When one has received pardon, he is far more eager to grant pardon.
#6—“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” The pure in heart have no secrets to hide. Behind closed doors you would find them living just as they do in the open.
#7—“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.” The peacemakers live above the chaos of daily pressures. They sow seeds of calm and joy wherever they go.
#8—“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” The persecuted realize that the battle is the Lord’s as did David when he stood before a Philistine warrior-giant. The persecuted will not compromise their righteousness to escape ridicule or shame.
Jesus said that those in a right relationship with him will look like that. Do you see yourself in his words?
Further Reading: Matthew 5:1-10; Luke 6:17-49
Dr. Daniel McCabe is the pastor of Faith Bible Church in Spring, Texas. He is a contributing editor for The Jerusalem Connection Report. He can be reached via email at danielmccabe@juno.com.
Faith Lessons: Cana
Dec 11th
The First Miracle
John 2:11, “This beginning of signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and manifested His glory.”
Five dusty faces smiled quietly as they crossed over the “state” line from Judea into Galilee. Memories of their past four days in Judea danced joyfully in their hearts. Andrew and Philip would never forget the scene along the banks of the Jordan River where they had witnessed the baptism of their new rabbi, Jesus. Overwhelmed by the impact of that day and of the next when they had met Jesus personally for the first time, they quickly found Peter and Nathanael to retell their experiences and to introduce them to Jesus. To their surprise and joy Jesus had then invited them all to follow him into Galilee.
All five grew up in Galilee and had only ventured south for a short time to hear the preaching of the Baptizer. Andrew and his younger brother Peter, along with Philip, grew up on the north shores of the choppy waters of the Sea of Galilee. Several miles to the southwest in hilly Nazareth stood a small carpentry shop and family home whose rooms knew well the footstep and voice of our Savior, and just a stone’s throw north of Nazareth lay another sleepy town with marshy soil and a refreshing spring that Nathanael called home—Cana.
Despite his weary legs from two days hard walk from Judea, Nathanael’s smile suddenly broadened upon arriving in Galilee and learning that they had all been invited to a wedding feast in his hometown. His step quickened as the familiar landscape of Cana spread out below them in the ancient plain of Asochis. Entering the wedding hall Nathanael naturally took the lead, introducing Andrew, Peter and Philip to the bridegroom and to all his hometown friends. Jesus, seeing his mother in attendance, slipped off to kiss her cheek and to show his glory.
During his three-year ministry on earth Jesus performed many signs that would reveal his glory as the Son of God (John 20:31). At Cana of Galilee the young rabbi performed the first of thirty-five recorded miracles by turning water into wine (John 2:1-11). Four days earlier at his baptism, many had witnessed a remarkable display of God’s glory as the heavens opened up, the Father’s voice expressed pleasure in his Son and the Spirit-dove lighted on the Nazarene’s shoulder. Many there believed. Now in Cana more would believe after witnessing his glory (2:11).
Today on the traditional site of the miracle of water to wine stands a church with a display of several stone jars and another church nearby with a chapel that commemorates the home of Nathanael. The two churches stand as memorials to the glory of God who changes things. Not just water to wine, but hearts as well. He changed Nathanael and the other disciples. He changed me, and Jesus also wants to turn your stony heart into a heart of faith.
When Jesus turned water to wine, the wedding guests marveled, for no other wine compared in taste; likewise, what Jesus offers you is a life to which nothing else can compare. Won’t you believe that Jesus can change even you?
Further Reading: John 2:1-11
Dr. Daniel McCabe is the pastor of Faith Bible Church in Spring, Texas. He is a contributing editor for The Jerusalem Connection Report. He can be reached via email at danielmccabe@juno.com.
Faith Lessons: Pinnacle of the Temple
Dec 10th
Temptation of Jesus
Luke 4:9, “Then he brought Him to Jerusalem, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, ‘If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down from here.’”
Life has dangerous edges. One more step forward and you’ll fall over the side. Yet you know God has brought you to this place, so you can’t retreat and there you stand. Some of the injured below yell up at you, “Jump! We did!” Some behind you threaten to push you unless you get with the program. So what do you do? If you belong to God, then stand your ground. I can’t promise that others won’t push you over the edge. I can’t promise that if you jump you won’t get hurt. But I can promise you this—that standing for what is right is the right stand to take.
In Luke 4 Jesus too stands on a dangerous ledge—the pinnacle of the temple in Jerusalem—which probably refers to the southwest corner of the castle-like retaining walls that surrounded the thirty-five acre temple complex in Jesus’ day. Built on a very high hill the temple walls towered several stories above the homes and marketplace below, making it the ideal spot for priests to stand and announce with shofar or trumpet the beginning and ending of festival and Sabbath days. A fall or jump from this perch would easily kill or maim unless, like Jesus, you could count on a pillow of angels to catch you (Psalm 91:11). The devil stood at Jesus’ side, goading him to jump and tempting him to prove through spectacle that angelic wings would protect him from the bruising limestone rocks below. Jesus refused to take orders from the tempter and stood his ground with these words, “You shall not tempt the LORD your God” (Luke 4:12).
Thirty years later, James, the half-brother of Jesus (Matt. 13:55) stood on that very spot. Originally among one of Jesus’ many opponents (John 7:5), James later believed in him and earned a reputation as a godly man of prayer. But angry hearts insisted that James recant and also convince the masses to do the same. Bringing him to the pinnacle to be heard throughout the city, his handlers panicked when instead James loudly confessed his faith in Jesus, and they pushed him over the side. Not killed by the fall, a blood-thirsty mob rushed in to finish the job. The early historian, Hegesippus, described the moment as follows, “And one of them, who was a fuller, took the club with which he beat out clothes and struck the just man on the head. And thus he suffered martyrdom. And they buried him on the spot, by the temple, and his monument still remains by the temple. He became a true witness, both to Jews and Greeks, that Jesus is the Christ.”
Two great stories that took place at the pinnacle of the temple. Two great lessons about temptation. First, there’s Jesus who was tempted to take orders from a lesser and to bring attention to himself by jumping. Then there’s James who was tempted to turn back from danger and to deny his faith in Jesus Christ before the large festival crowds. In the end both chose to honor their Father in heaven, and both lives challenge us to do the same—to remember that life is not about us. It’s about our heavenly Father.
So, despite the danger, stand your ground. You cannot jump. You cannot retreat. You must be a witness for God.
Further Reading: Matthew 4:5-7; Luke 4:9-12
Dr. Daniel McCabe is the pastor of Faith Bible Church in Spring, Texas. He is a contributing editor for The Jerusalem Connection Report. He can be reached via email at danielmccabe@juno.com.
Faith Lessons: Judean Wilderness
Dec 7th
Temptation of Jesus
Luke 4:3, “And the devil said to Him, ‘If You are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.’”
The famed author Herman Melville spent eight days in Jerusalem in 1857 and, overwhelmed by her stony landscape, he wrote often of it in his diary. In one such entry he laments, “Stones to right and stones to left . . . stony tombs, stony hills & stony hearts” (Jerusalem: City of Mirrors, Amos Elon, p. 11). Yehuda Amichai, a modern Hebrew poet and lifelong resident of Jerusalem, adds succinctly, “All these stones, all this sadness” (Elon, p. 12).
Not surprisingly, the Bible records piles of stories that include rocks and stones. In the Old Testament rebellious children suffered death by stoning. Moses struck a rock and water gushed forth. The patriarch Jacob chose a stone for a pillow one night in Bethel during his journey north to find a bride. Somewhere near Jericho Joshua built an altar of stones after crossing the Jordan River and before conquering the Promised Land. Jesus tells the well-known story of the sower whose seed falls in the stony places and of the wise man who built his house upon the rocks. Jesus also promises Peter that on “this rock I will build my church.” Peter calls Jesus “a living stone.” The traditional site of the death and burial of Jesus, today marked by the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, stands next to an ancient rock quarry. Following the burial of Jesus, they roll a stone in front of the tomb. Today the Jews worship at the Western Wall, built with ancient stones, and the Muslims call their controversial mosque in Jerusalem, “The Dome of the Rock.” One day in heaven God will even give overcomers a white stone with a new name written on it.
Smothered in limestone and chalk rocks, the city of Jerusalem lies on the edge of the barren Judean wilderness—a desert populated by these ubiquitous stones. Traveling through this wilderness region, one can almost come to hate the stones. They become your foe. They mock you in your hunger and exhaustion.
In Luke 4:1-4 the devil tempts Jesus to turn these stones into bread. After forty days in the dust and flame of the Judean wilderness his Father had provided nothing for him to eat. Had God abandoned his own Son? After all, the children of Israel had traveled around in the desert for forty years, and God cared for them with a cloud by day to block out the scorching sun and with a pillar of fire by night to keep back the cold desert nights. He also provided sustenance. Water came from rocks. Manna floated down from the skies. Quail flew in off the horizon.
Satan prods Jesus to solve his hunger problem apart from God’s leading, but calmly, knowingly, Jesus quotes Deuteronomy 8:3, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.”
Today just to the west of Jericho stands Jebel Quruntul, commonly called the “Mount of Temptation,” where you will find a monastery clinging to the side of the mountain—the traditional site of Satan’s temptation of Jesus to turn the stone into bread. That monastery stands as a testament to our Savior who stood strong in the face of temptation, withstanding it with the truth of God’s Word.
The stones may be crying out for you to doubt God—“He has abandoned you”—“You only thought he cared.” But believe God’s Word. He does care for you (1 Peter 5:7), and he will provide all your needs (Philippians 4:19).
Further Reading: Matthew 4:1-4; Mark 1:12-13; Luke 4:1-4
Dr. Daniel McCabe is the pastor of Faith Bible Church in Spring, Texas. He is a contributing editor for The Jerusalem Connection Report. He can be reached via email at danielmccabe@juno.com.
Faith Lessons: The Jordan River
Dec 5th
Baptism of Jesus
Matthew 3:15, “Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.”
He closed the door of the family carpentry shop one last time—its floor covered with sawdust and rich with memories of time spent with his dad, Joseph.
Remember, Jesus, measure twice, cut once.
Dad, which wood is harder? Cedar or oak?
Finish sanding that table leg and we’ll call it a day.
Three-legged and four-legged stools, chairs with backs, dinner tables that stood very low to the ground, beds with slats to support a mattress, nightstands to hold small clay lamps filled with olive oil, and large wooden storage chests—the business would now pass to his younger brothers: James, Joses, Judas and Simon (Matthew 13:55). Mary’s “firstborn son” (Matthew 1:25) embraced his young mother who always knew this day would come. He soaked in the familiar Nazareth hills with a slow sweep of his head and set out down the dry riverbed of the Wadi Bira for the winding, muddy waters of the Jordan River “to fulfill all righteousness” (Matthew 3:15).
By the time Jesus arrived on the banks of the Jordan, possibly just outside of Jericho Town, believers and skeptics alike had already gathered there to hear the prophetic sermons of John the Baptizer and in the case of many to be baptized in the same water that had once divided miraculously for General Joshua and the children of Israel to begin their conquest of the Promised Land. Any and all who confessed their sins each day at the Jordan followed up their change of heart with baptism. Baptized tax collectors promised to collect no more than the law required. Baptized soldiers promised not to bully civilians and to be content with their wages. Others promised to share their clothes and their food with the needy.
Forgiven sinners of all ages publicly identify themselves as sinners through the practice of baptism, which pictures the cleansing that God brings to the heart of men. The perfect need no baptism, so when Jesus stepped to the front of the crowd requesting baptism, the Baptizer initially refused. But Jesus insisted, saying, “Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness” (3:15). I suspect that John, like me, didn’t fully understand the meaning of Jesus’ words. They made little sense at the time. That’s why Jesus says, “Permit it to be so now.” In other words, some things that don’t make sense now will prove to be just right as we look back on them in the days ahead. John, not fully understanding, nevertheless fully trusted, and together they waded into the water for baptism—the sinless in the hands of the sinful. How fitting that Jesus, who could never identify himself as a sinner, nevertheless chose to identify himself with sinners! How comforting to know that Jesus understands our temptations, pressures and loneliness! He asks us to trust him in our moments of hesitation and confusion.
Today in Israel more than half a dozen locations near Jericho have been proposed as the actual site of Jesus’ baptism. Despite the evident uncertainty, each site stands as a memorial to Jesus’ compassion for sinners and John’s obedience to Jesus in the face of the unthinkable.
God may be asking you too to do the unthinkable. It would be so much easier for you if it weren’t for the crowd nearby poised to criticize your actions; yet, you’ve clearly heard from God, so “permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for [you and God] to fulfill all righteousness.” Step into the water with him. It’s time to trust.
Further Reading: Matthew 3:13-17; Mark 1:9-11; Luke 3:21-22
Dr. Daniel McCabe is the pastor of Faith Bible Church in Spring, Texas. He is a contributing editor for The Jerusalem Connection Report. He can be reached via email at danielmccabe@juno.com.
Faith Lessons: Bethlehem, Shepherds’ Field
Dec 4th
Birth Announcement to the Shepherds
Luke 2:10, “Then the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people.’”
Sheep frighten rather easily; that’s why they need shepherds. A rabbit, a snake, any wild animal or even a stranger can create sudden panic. But this day it would be the shepherds themselves who would need reassurance following a scare.
Not far from the walled city of Bethlehem a group of shepherds and a flock of sheep slept under a typical, Judean, night sky. One shepherd, keeping his usual two-hour watch, passed the time with musings and counted sheep to stay awake just as the young David would have done on these very same limestone hills one millennium earlier. Figs, wine, milk and honey surrounded him on three sides; the desert loomed to the east, making him wish he had been born in the watered hills of the Galilee, but drier nights meant fewer ticks, flies, mosquitoes and mites, and in that he found comfort. His hands, calloused from clearing the pasture of rocks, roots and stumps by day, loosely gripped his rod by night, ready in an instant to arouse the others in defense of the sheep. His mind retraced its steps to the days of David and then further back to the stories of Moses, who too had known the daily duties of shepherd life, though many miles southwest of Bethlehem in the rocky crags of Midian. God chose the clumsy-talking Moses to deliver his countrymen from slavery and also exalted David to the throne of Jerusalem. How marvelous that God could use shepherds—outcasts of society like himself—to serve such a heavenly purpose!
Suddenly the brave shepherd swallowed his thoughts and melted with fear as the darkness erupted with light. His awakened companions likewise froze at the sight of an angel with tidings to share. Reassured by the angel’s words and eager to meet their newborn Savior, they searched throughout Bethlehem until they found him. Banned from worship in the temple for being ceremonially unclean, the shepherds now freely worshipped on their knees beside a manger in a stable. Beside the Good Shepherd. Their fear replaced by joy.
Today in the shallow soil of a small Arab village just east of Bethlehem town, two churches stand where shepherds once stood—one Greek Orthodox and one Roman Catholic—but both a memorial to the events that took place in “The Shepherds’ Field” so long ago.
Sheep frighten rather easily; that’s why they need shepherds. We too frighten easily; that’s why we need a Shepherd, but whether you fear the future, known or unknown; rejection and loneliness; growing up; growing old; financial ruin; or a fear that you cannot find words to describe; remember the words spoken in a shepherds’ field, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:10-11).
Further Reading: Luke 2:8-20
Dr. Daniel McCabe is the pastor of Faith Bible Church in Spring, Texas. He is a contributing editor for The Jerusalem Connection Report. He can be reached via email at danielmccabe@juno.com.
Faith Lessons: Bethlehem, Church of the Nativity
Dec 4th
Birth of Jesus
Luke 2:7, “And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.”
That last contraction reminded Mary of other famous births on these same fertile hills. One millennium earlier Jesse’s bride had given birth here to the great King David. The harlot Rahab too had married and settled down here, giving birth to Boaz and later rejoicing in her son’s marriage to the beautiful Moabitess, Ruth. Sadly Jacob’s wife, Rachel, died here while giving birth to Joseph of “the coat of many colors” fame.
Just ahead, the little town of Bethlehem soaked up the fading rays of windy sunlight streaming in from Mary’s right as another Joseph—her Joseph—tirelessly guided their sure-footed donkey with Mary aboard over the few remaining hills that separated them from the hope of a restful night’s sleep and a hot meal. Just to her left lay the hot, yellow sands of the Judean Desert that routinely invaded the “House of Bread,” forcing Bethlehemite farmers to abandon their wheat and barley crops for a day and to sit in the shade of the city’s walls, whittling olive wood and wondering when their Messiah would come. Ten miles to Mary’s left and almost 3000 feet straight down lapped the lifeless blue waters of the Dead Sea, but ahead Bethlehem buzzed with activity as descendents of David thronged through its gates to register in obedience to Caesar’s decree.
The contractions pounded ever closer now as Mary and Joseph arrived to find no vacancies anywhere in town, but God had already done the impossible in Mary’s life when the betrothed virgin conceived a child of the Holy Spirit. Finding a resting-place for a weary couple posed no problem for God. One innkeeper, picking up on the Galilean accent of the couple, realizing that they had traveled far, noting Mary’s obvious need for shelter, and obeying the prompting of God in his heart, offered Mary and Joseph the use of his stable, cut into the rock-hill behind his inn. Mary and Joseph had traveled days to find their needed rest in that small stable-cave and to give birth to one who later promised all those who made their way to him, “You will find rest for your souls” (Matt. 11:29).
Today, marked by a fourteen-point star in a small Greek Orthodox grotto inside the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, the traditional site of the birthplace of Jesus serves as a memorial to Mary’s firstborn Son and Savior. Wrapped in strips of cloth to give warmth and comfort to the little King and lying in a manger, typically used for feeding cattle, the birth of the Bread of Life changed human history or as Philips Brooks beautifully stated in his classic Bethlehem carol, “Yet in thy dark streets shineth the everlasting Light—the hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight.”
If this day you too are weary and worn from a long journey of your own, remember that God is your resting-place. When all other doors are shut tight to your needs, look to the stable. Look to the one who offers rest for your soul.
Further Reading: Luke 2:1-7
Dr. Daniel McCabe is the pastor of Faith Bible Church in Spring, Texas. He is a contributing editor for The Jerusalem Connection Report. He can be reached via email at danielmccabe@juno.com.