This morning we started with a long hike to the Mt. of Beatitudes. This trip had extra importance bc my youth group recently studied the sermon on the Mount. Now I really have a feel for what that moment was like- there must've been a lot of sweat bc today was super hot! The message was & is still perfect, to find contentment in every situation, even in the middle of a barley field :)
Later we traveled to Capernaum, the town where Jesus performed most of his miracles. There were many ancient ruins that explained the lives of people of the time.
The stone olive press emphasized the people's strength. It also connected biblical history. Oil press in Hebrew is מעצרת & phonetically sounds like Gotshem. Before Jesus was crucified he prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane on the Mt. of Olives...Gethsemane comes from Gotshem. Not only do I understand why it was called that I learned a bit more. To make the oil the olives are pressed 3 times. The first time created the purest oil used for anointing. The second time created oil used for healing & providing light in oil lamps. The third was used for cleansing bc it helped to make soaps. Ready for a big connection? During his prayer time Jesus was so spiritually pressed that he sweat drops of blood (Luke 22:44). Jesus also prayed 3 times before leaving. And finally, like the olives that were hanging around him & later pressed, he is the anointed one, a healer, and a cleanser. If only I had taken Hebrew classes before!!
Here are some pics from the day. I'll post the rest mañana.
-Mads
Praise: all in good health & protected
Prayer: Jim's knees are sore from the multiple mt hikes & continued protection esp from the sun (it made my mom sick)
