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JESUS NEVER TOOK THE EASY PATH

 (Sunday, September 06, 2020)

1.0 INTRODUCTION

During his ministry on this earth, Jesus never took the easy path. It is right from his birth to death; He opted to follow the extremely difficult path and showed us the way we must live our lives by following him.

Jesus had the power and capability to make them easy and had a comfortable life. But He never did it. In the New Testament, we have the evidences of his power & capabilities.

He performed several miracles- turned water into wine, healed people [blind, dumb, deaf, paralysed and other sickness & diseases], casted out demons and evil spirits, calmed storm, walked on sea, fed thousands of people with 5-7 loaves of bread and few fishes, raised the dead, and so on…

2.0 JOURNEY FROM JERICHO [JORDAN RIVER] TO JERUSALEM

Jesus traveled this route many times. In fact, every time that he came to Jerusalem from Galilee, he would have traveled up the same Ascent of Adumim (unless permitted to travel through Samaria (John 4 and Luke 9:52-53). 

Scriptures record at least one trip of Jesus through Samaria and two trips by way of Jericho. However, as per Deuteronomy 16:16, Jesus must have travel at least three times in a year to Jerusalem. It says,

“Three times in a year shall all thy males appear before the Lord thy God in the place which he shall choose [referring presumably to the Temple in Jerusalem], in the feast of unleavened bread [Pesah or Passover], and in the feast of weeks [Shavuot], and in the feast of tabernacles [Sukkot]: and they shall not appear before the Lord empty:

Probably his parents had to climb back up to Jerusalem after realizing that their twelve-year-old boy wasn’t in their caravan (Luke 2:41-50). Anyone would have been upset oneself to have to make that return journey, which we find in Mary’s wordings.

From the map we can see that this is approximately 45-50 km away from Jerusalem and was generally regarded as a two-day walk. It has an elevation increase of about 3400 feet (1060 m) from the Jordan Valley to Jerusalem.

Jesus and his disciples probably take two-day journey trudging up the Jerusalem – Jericho road,

John 11: 1-3 spells that while Jesus was in Jordan, a messenger arrives stating that Lazarus (brother of Mary and Martha who live in village Bethany- less than 2 miles from Jerusalem Johan 11:19) is sick and it’s serious.

He doesn’t immediately leave to help. He doesn’t simply speak a word of healing which He could have done. He simply ‘stays’ where He is two more days (John 11: 5-6). So, Jesus arrives four days late and right on time… (John 11:18)

Perfect according to His Father’s timing! It was a two-day journey from where Jesus was back to Bethany so, as Jesus waited two days before setting out, it is likely that Lazarus died around the time that the messenger got to Jesus asking Him to come.

3.0 LET US WALK WITH SERGIO & TEAM – JERICHO TO JERUSALEM

4.0 CONCLUSION

The whole Samaritan story was probably something Jesus had witnessed. Jesus did say that if you do something good for someone who is less fortunate, you also do it to Jesus, and if you don’t do something for someone who is less fortunate, you don’t do it for Jesus [Mathew 25:31-46].

But how does one interpret that line? Obviously, Jesus wants us to be good to the less fortunate… and Jesus always followed the path of being the less fortunate.

Is he there watching? Was he there when the Samaritan did his good deed? Was Jesus the man who fell among thieves? Or was he merely watching?

This couldn’t have been a made-up story. He didn’t say it was a parable as well, and when He spoke, He always spoke the truth, because He is the truth.