Daily Devotion for July 12, 2006

Day 17

 

The Jericho Road

 

But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. Luke 10:33

 

Near Jericho east of Jerusalem, it is still possible to walk along parts of an old Roman road which Jesus must have used on his frequent trips between Jerusalem and Jericho.  About 14 miles east of Jerusalem, the old Jericho road leads away from the modern highway with its buses and army trucks, and winds down the dry rocky valley called the “Wadi Qilt.”

 

(click on photo for broader vista)

Clinging to the rock wall on the north side of the gorge is the Monastery of St. George begun in the fifth century and still inhabited by a few Greek monks.  With the famous Monastery of St. Catherine at the foot of Mount Sinai, this is one of the oldest continuously active places of Christian monastic prayer in the world.

 

One is allowed to see some ancient icons in the church and to view the cave where monks killed by the Persians in 614 are buried.  Centuries seem as nothing in the heat and silence of a place like this.  Caves for hermits can be seen above and below the road as it continues down the gorge.  A few are once again inhabited by modern followers of the ancient desert ascetics!

 

But most of all along this original road down to Jericho, one must think of the parable of the Good Samaritan.  It is here in this setting we come to realize that the Good Samaritan had to cross the Wadi Qilt in order to come to where the man was lying.  Not an easy task – and certainly not a safe gesture because to come to help the man meant being at the mercy of anyone else coming along the road who could throw stones at the Samaritan coming into the territory of Judah.  Did Jesus have a particular inn in mind when he told this wonderful story and fixed this road as its setting?  For us, an old caravansary or inn along the modern highway may suggest the necessary stage to conjure up the story even if it dates only from the Turkish period.  It is easy to see how robbers could hide among these barren hills and rocks.  The black tents and the goats and sheep of nomad shepherds are still found just off the highway.  Only a few army posts are a contemporary intrusion.

 

Prayer
Jesus, you knew the impact your parable would have because you made the hero a Samaritan.  In your time, Samaritans were so despised by the Jews.  In our century, you might have told of an Ulster Protestant stopping to help a Catholic after a bishop and a nun passed by.  Or, the story might have told of a Palestinian Moslem stopping to help a Jew after a rabbi and a kibbutz member had ignored him.  Lord, you taught us vividly that we are to reach out in kindness even to our enemies.  May we have the strength to do so and be willing to pay the price.  Amen

 

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While in the Middle East for a Biblical Study Journey with fellow Word Among Us Students, a 5-person crew is filming and taking pictures of the various sites. This vibrant photographic material will be incorporated into next year's Word Among Us classes.

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