In His Footsteps

Literally. The first picture you see is the stone that was the entrance to the synagogue that was there in Capernaum when Jesus made his home there. That means the feet of Jesus stepped on this stone countless times. My feet (thankfully, not pictures) stood where Jesus stood. Literally.

The second picture is from the south end of the entrance to the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. The last time I was there, it was buried under Lord knows how many feet of subsequent use. But this time that area had been excavated down to what is clearly Herodian era pavement. (Just trust me on this.) This is how Jesus would have gotten to the Temple Mount. Once again my feet stood where Jesus stood.

I’m not really much of a pietist. But I have to say that there was something powerfully moving in knowing that I was literally following in the footsteps of Jesus.

In the Gospels Jesus asks us to live without fear or worry (see especially the Sermon on the Mount). He asks us to be merciful and generous. But chiefly he asks us to follow him. To me, this what makes a Christian a Christian. A Christian follows Jesus, doing the things he did.

Putting my feet in the same places where Jesus walked isn’t exactly what he has in mind. But it’s a good–and moving–reminder to me.

Peace,

Pr. Mark Walters