Har Arbel

The story of Mt. Arbel is another story of the brutality of Roman rule and the various attempts at rebellion by the Jews of Israel. An important thoroughfare ran through this region and the Jews saw it as an opportunity to exert some small modicum of control. By lobbing stones and other objects on travelers from nearby cliffs, they were able to sufficiently disrupt the flow of people and goods that the Romans got involved. Young Herod came as a general to rout the rebels as he established his power sometime around 47 BC. He lowered soldiers over the cliff in huge baskets and they used hooks to grab Jews out of the caves, dragging them over the cliff to their death.

A little over half a century later, Jesus would likely come up onto this mountain as a place to get away and pray. He must have known the story. He must have, as he sat by himself on the hillside to catch his breath, thought of the world that the church would grow up in. It wouldn't be an easy journey for new believers. Many of them would die at the hands of these same Romans. "In this world you will have suffering." "This world will hate you as it hated me."

It wasn't that Jesus would try to protect them, it was that he would give his Spirit to be with them as they walked the long and dangerous road of discipleship.

It struck me that the Spirit within us is all we need to endure any hardship of this life.

(Obligatory jumping shots in high places may seem a little out of place, but after thirty minutes of prayer and contemplation, our spirits were sufficiently lifted for a little fun to be had.)Read more