The Galilee Promise

I've had the privilege of spending a significant amount of time in the Galilee. Of all the places in the Holy Land, I love this area the most, probably because of the time Jesus spent here, ministered here, but also because of it's significance to the whole biblical story. It's the land of Naphtali and Zebulun and it's mentioned as the place were the people who walked in darkness would see a great light!

In other words, it is where the Messiah would come from.

There are significant reasons why God planned it this way, first of all, because this land in the First Century wasn't filled with Jews, but was a mix of Jews, Samaritans, and other Gentiles from around the area and world. Tiberius, a large city built during this time in honor of the Caesar (whose name was Tiberius) was considered a pagan city and was avoided by the Jews(and by Jesus). It was here in this international area that God planned to reveal himself to the world, in the flesh.

So for me, the picture above is like home. It represents you and me, the land of Gentiles, full of the darkness of ignorance (or naivete) of God that will be flooded with the light of God, an understanding of Christ!

I always thought that in order to find we have to seek and in order to understand we have to study/read. And while it holds true, it is not exclusive. What I mean is that the people of the Galilee (at least the Gentiles) weren't seeking a Messiah. They weren't studying the Hebrew scriptures (and while the Jews here were doing both, there wasn't a great fervor until after John the Baptist). So when Jesus arrives they found something they weren't looking for. In other words, Jesus comes to meet us where we are instead of us always going to where he is.

That's a great deal of the Good News of God. He has arrived not at the Temple, where he is expected, but at home, where we live, where we work, where we play, where we hurt. The Galilee is the symbol of God's promise, I will be wherever you are.

And it still holds true. Jesus is where we are. He's Emmanuel, which means God with us. We don't have to run after God. Instead we simply have to turn toward Him and He's there. Run away from God and look over your shoulder...He's there.

Isaiah said, "He's coming."

Jesus says, "I AM here!"

In His Grip ><>
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