Saturday, 14th September 2019
Travelling into Nazareth took us into the place where Jesus was raised as the son of Joseph and Mary. An ordinary place where an ordinary Jewish boy grew up with an extraordinary calling and purpose for His life. As we travelled through the streets of Nazareth, I connected with our belief that Jesus was
"truly and properly man." His humanity came alive as we ventured into the marketplaces, walked past carpentry shops and saw a glimpse of the world Jesus grew up in.
Then, when we visited the old Church of the Annunciation and the Basilica of the Annunciation, these ordinary scenes of Jewish life gave way to elaborate scenes that confronted you with awe-inspiring images of the divinity of Jesus Christ. This was captured by stunning murals and mosaics that depicted when the angel of the Lord appeared to Mary. While Protestant Christians do not venerate Mary in the same way the Catholics do, the Basilica was an impressive tribute to an amazing Jewish girl who carried the Son of God.
From the ornate churches, we returned to the ordinary reality of village life that took us back in time to an ancient Nazareth village. This recreation of a first-century village really did bring to life the reality of this Galilean village. Every detail was captured in the architecture, agriculture and activities depicted in the village. It was quite an extraordinary walk back through time that gave me a sense of presence in the life of Jesus.
"And came and lived in a city called Nazareth. This was what was written by the prophets, "He shall be called a Nazarene."" (Matthew 2:23)
"Nathanael said to him, "can any good thing come out of Nazareth?" Philip said to him, "Come and see."" (John 1:46)
Next stop, Cana - the place of the wedding supper where Jesus turned water into wine. The Franciscans have built St. Nathaniel's Chapel over this site which now is used to conduct the renewal of marriage vows for visiting couples. Yet, as meaningful as this is, the significance of the first recorded miracle of Jesus seems to get overshadowed. It certainly felt that way for me. This was further accentuated by the beautiful imagery of St. Francis of Assisi that adorned the chapel and grounds. I left this location with very mixed feelings today.
The final location we visited today had the most profound impact on me! We travelled to the northwest shore of the Sea of Galilee where Peter was reinstated by Jesus after his denial of Christ. Here the words of Jesus,
"Do you love me?" spoke powerfully to me. We stood on the shore of Galilee and sang the words of Howard Davies' song,
"Lord, you know that we love you." This was a most fitting song for a very sacred moment. Three rocks shaped as love hearts imbedded into the ground nearby added to the impact of the moment. As we sang the final verse, I was overwhelmed with such deep emotion, I could no longer sing but could only allow Christ to speak through the singing of the rest of our tour group...
"Lord, you know that we fail you;
Our sins, how sorely they grieve you!
Many times we have fallen,
Lord, lift us up again.
May we walk to be worthy
Of the call that is ours,
May your will and your purpose
Claim our undivided powers!"
Following this powerful moment, I went and stood in the Sea of Galilee and allowed Christ's deep, deep love for me flood my soul.
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