We can only
speculate how long Jesus spends in Capernaum with his family and friends. I would have liked to have been there just to
see what Jesus did with his leisure time.
What did he talk about with the people he knew best? What did he do when he was not in the role of
Messiah? He had obviously taken a
significant step in Cana towards officially setting his ministry in motion. But the crowds have not materialized
yet. The demands that would weigh on him
are still a thing of the future. He is
still Jesus among friends. He knows his
mission, but the reality of the opposition and the trials leading to his death
are still beyond the horizon. What was
Jesus' life before the full weight of his special role fell on his
shoulders? Did he laugh and share
stories with his friends, before he became the "man of sorrows"? His life was still simple and peaceful....
Then Passover shows
up on the radar. Jesus had been
attending Passover in Jerusalem for 18 years.
His understanding of the meaning of Passover had grown and crystalized
over time as he passed from adolescence to adulthood. But now, at the dawn of his ministry, he must
have realized that every event from that day on would inevitably lead to the
ultimate sacrifice. Passover will never
be the same again. Everything is
different now. Every event, every
conversation, every person is a marker on the road to Moriah, where God would
provide the Lamb that takes away the sin of the world.
It moves me to think
that Jesus, even at this early juncture of his ministry, could have chosen to
stay in Capernaum with his friends and family.
It would have been so easy to make the choice to avoid the path that
would lead to his passion and ultimate death-- violent and agonizing. But today's text is quite clear, "Jesus
goes to Jerusalem." He doesn't stay
away. He didn't avoid the city that
would condemn him and hang him on a cruel cross. He makes an early statement and faces his
fears. Once the lot is cast; once he
steps into the city, no longer as Citizen Jesus, but as Jesus the Anointed One,
his life will never be the same. But he
goes anyway. What thoughts race through
his mind as he takes every step that leads him from Galilee to Judea; from Capernaum
to Jerusalem? I wonder his
demeanor. I marvel at his love. I am awed and blown away by his willingness
to do what needed to be done to "seek and save" the lot of us. I am not worthy, but I am forever thankful.
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