Jesus was making his last journey to Jerusalem.  He and his disciples would follow the Jericho Road.  The walk from Jericho to Jerusalem was about 18 miles long, eighteen miles of narrowness, ravines, almost inaccessible cliffs, caverns and sudden turns.  The road was notorious for its danger and difficulty.  Thieves and bandits were known to ambush travelers.  And it was steep.  Jericho, located in the Jordan Valley not far from the Dead Sea is about 800 feet below sea level, while the altitude of Jerusalem is about 2600 feet above sea level.  That makes a rugged uphill climb.

After this harsh journey, Jesus came to Bethany, the home of Lazarus, Mary, and Martha.  What a respite that must have been to be welcomed into the home of friends, before the final entry into Jerusalem.

Martin Luther King, Jr. used the Jericho Road as a symbol of our American journey.  He likened the Jericho Road to any place where there is violence, any place where there is oppression, or where people are robbed of their dignity, or robbed of love food or freedom.  One day, “We must come to see that the whole Jericho Road must be transformed so that men and women will not be constantly beaten and robbed as they make their journey on life’s highway.”

We too walk our own Jericho Road, whenever life presents us with a steep climb full of obstacles, a journey through danger, or a goal that seems inaccessible.  Then we turn to Jesus.  He has made the journey for us.  With his unconditional love, he will walk each step by our side.

Judy