In 2005, I led a backpacking trip in Colorado. During that trip, I would often remind the campers not to focus too much on the destination. Everybody wanted to make it to the top of the mountain. We all understandably wanted to complete the journey and return home victorious. However, I knew if we were not careful we would miss countless moments of beauty along the way. There were going to be unexpected vistas, sunrises, flowers, and conversations shared together that would all point to the presence of God.
In our sermon series, Jesus is on a journey from the north of Israel down to Jerusalem. This week we are going to hear the story of Christ after he arrives in the city of Jericho. Things were really becoming exciting for the disciples at this point. There was energy moving through the crowd, and people could not wait for Jesus to get to Jerusalem.
I think it is wonderful for people to be excited, but the crowds in the time of Jesus were missing the point. They were expecting their version of a fairy tale. They wanted to crush the Romans and live happily ever after. They were not expecting a cross. They were not looking for God's Grace on their journey.
It is interesting that Jesus never becomes overly exasperated with his followers. He simply reminds them of the blessings that were present along the way. In the city of Jericho, the crowd was pushing Jesus forward, but Christ stopped to listen to the voice of a blind man crying out for help. It can be easy to ignore the voice of the downtrodden. We like to listen to influential and powerful people, but Christ hears everyone's voice. He reminds us not to get so focused on our destination, that we lose sight of our neighbors.
My time leading backpacking trips were incredible. There were a number of mountaintop moments that I wouldn't ever trade. However, there were also hail and lightning storms. There were sick kids. There was even a time when the kids forgot their tent, and we had to sleep outside in swarms of mosquitoes. Nothing ever turned out exactly like we planned it, but it was a joy to experience the unexpected. I think there is so much to the journey of life that we don't want to miss. God is near to you today. Are you taking it all in?
Blessings!
Brian Ward
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