A Sycamore-fig tree located in downtown Jericho. These trees don't live 2000 years, but it was a great visual reminding us of the story of Zacchaeus.
Jericho - lowest city in the world - 846 feet below Sea level
This great Oasis in the wilderness of Israel is such a fascinating place in terms of the Bible. We all know how Joshua fought the Battle of Jericho. The remnants of the fallen walls of this battle have been found. There is a dispute about the dating of the ancient ruins of Jericho with one "camp" dating these ruins outside the time frame of Joshua. The other "camp" places those ruins directly in the time frame of Joshua.
Our trip to Jericho was brief, using this as a waypoint in our trip from Galilee to Bethlehem. Ironically, that is the exact purpose this town has served throughout the centuries. We had a great meal in Jericho. I wish I could remember the name of it, but I have a video below of the "flipping" of this great meal of rice, chicken, and other stuff!
Matthew, Mark and Luke all tell of Jesus' travels through Jericho. I have two favorite stories about Jesus and Jericho. I will cover one here and the other in the next blog.
Anyone that grew up in the church knows of Zaccheus, the wee-little man, and his hosting Jesus in his home. I just love this storyline and completely understand why Luke included it in his writing. The idea of a sinner, someone who cheated others and who was despised by many, being accepted and blessed by Jesus is so powerful. It gives us hope. Recently, I have wondered about this interpretation of Scripture and our tour guide shared a different view.
The NKJV verse 3 states: "And he sought to see who Jesus was, but could not because of the crowd, for he was short of stature."
The NIV, NLT state verse 3 this way: "He wanted to see who Jesus was, but because he was short he could not see over the crowd." and "He tried to get a good look at Jesus, but was too short to see over the crowd."
The various translations are about split 50-50 on these two different translations.
So, the "song version" would indicate Zacchaeus was physically short. Our tour guide leaned more toward the NKJV version and interpreted the story this way;
Zacchaeus could not see Jesus because of the crowd. But he could not get close to Jesus because of his social standing in the community, not because of his physical height. The Greek adjective mikros used to describe Zacchaeus could be interpreted as small in size, but it also could be interpreted in terms of "rank or influence." The latter interpretation would make sense because of Zacchaeus' chosen profession.
SO, why does it make a difference? How important is it to study the word this closely?
I bring this up, not because of the impact on the story. I bring it up because of how much time we (theologians, Bible scholars, teachers) spend picking through the WORD of GOD, tearing it apart, dissecting every line, every possible meaning, and we can miss the meat of the story. Please don't misunderstand me. One of the joys I have in life is searching God's Word and seeking its true meaning. There is definitely a time to do that. Preachers and teachers are charged to make sure their flocks completely understand the message of God. BUT, let us not miss the forest for the trees.
God chose Zacchaeus just like he chose me. He didn't care about my weaknesses; he didn't care about the sins of my past. Jesus chose me, like Zacchaeus, even before I chose to seek him, to follow him, and to obey him. I am so blessed to be adopted into the family of God!
Next time you read scripture, just let it soak into your heart, and listen for God's message. Feel his love and the joy he has in being with you.
I can't remember what this was called, but it was delicious!
The skyline of Jericho!
Jericho is located on the edge of the wilderness and has always been an Oasis for weary travelers.
Jericho is also identified as the city of Palms. The weather is always wonderful even when the weather of Jerusalem is not! Kings and world leaders have always looked forward to spending time here.
In the background are the mountains where Moses looked into the Promised Land and soon after, died.
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