Palm Sunday Parade

The Challenge

                It makes no sense to try  to understand Jesus' entry into Jerusalem in isolation. It is necessary to take into account the religious expectations and the political climate of the time. This wider context will provide the stage on which Jesus' bold move, an act which is clearly a major turning point in his mission, was enacted.

                Previously he was carrying out his ministry predominantly in Galilee, even then avoiding the larger cities. He chose to do his work remote from the centre of religious and political power in Jerusalem. As Mark would have it, he was endeavouring to keep his activities from attracting widespread attention. How often we read statements such as: “And he strictly ordered them not to make him known”(3: 12), or “And he charged them to tell no one about him”(8: 30).

                These were dangerous times and he could not afford to have the Roman authorities believing that he was gathering a large following. This could have been construed as organising a revolutionary group.

                Now however on entering Jerusalem, the headquarters of his opposition – Roman authority and Jewish religious leaders – he is publicly declaring his purpose. It appears as if Jesus is openly challenging those in power.

                This Sunday demonstration is a challenge to the oppressive Roman occupation and Roman theology which accompanies it. The next day's “cleansing of the temple” challenges the Jewish religious hierarchy.

                These were powerful opponents, but as Jesus made known on his way to Jerusalem, he was well aware of the inevitable outcome (see for example 8: 31, 9:31, 10:32-34).

Model of the Jewish temple (built by Herod the Great), the seat of religious power in Judea.

Roman rule in the Jewish lands. 

                Ultimate governing power in the Jewish homeland at this time was concentrated in the hands of the Roman emperor who at this time was Tiberius. At the local level it resided in his appointed representative, the Governor, Pontius Pilate, and the temple and its administration. The temple had always been the centre of Jewish religious life. Now it took on an extra function – acting as a representative of Rome in maintaining order and collecting the taxes. So the chief priests, elders and scribes, as Mark described the leaders of the temple, who themselves were wealthy people, were alienated from the general populace.

                Pilate resided mainly in his palace in Caesarea Maritima, situated on the Mediterranean coast. The climate and general environment here were much preferable to that in the capital city located in the hills inland. At the times of the major Jewish festivals he would come up to Jerusalem. This was not because of any religious fervour, after all he was a Roman. He came up with military reinforcements to be close on hand to deal with any trouble which might erupt. With the many thousands of pilgrims arriving in the already crowded city, and knowing from experience the discontent under which the people lived, he knew that it would only take a spark to start a nasty anti-government protest.

Two processions

                At this time preceding Passover, two processions entered the Holy City of Jerusalem. There was Jesus' entry as recorded in the gospels. There was also another which has not been mentioned in the gospels. This was the entry of the Roman governor, Pontius Pilate, coming from Caesarea Maritima to be on hand for the festival. And herein lies the audacity of Jesus' procession.

                Pilate embodied locally all that the emperor Tiberius represented. That included not only the power of civic government but also the notion of Imperial theology in which Tiberius was to be worshipped as the Son of God. This entry from the west was an exhibition of Roman might. Modern film and television has shown us today how this or other similar processions may have looked . We hear the beating of drums and the sound of marching feet. There is the governor seated on a finely decorated steed, surrounded by members of his cavalry. The colourful uniforms of the legionnaires surge forward with their helmets and weapons glinting in the spring sunshine. All this with the regimental banners fluttering creates an awesome sight for the onlookers.

The remains of a Roman parade of power - arches, columns and visitors wondering over the power that once was Rome.

This was the might of Rome on show. It represented not only power, but also violence and oppression. The pilgrims and local inhabitants did not join in this procession. Contrast this spectacle with Jesus' symbolic entry.

                The way the evangelists have written their accounts would seem to indicate that Jesus had deliberately orchestrated his entry to contrast with that of Pilate's. It was a graphic illustration of Jesus' message about the Kingdom of God carried out in humility. Here was a contrast between the Kingdom of Domination, the present system under which the Jewish people suffered, and the Kingdom of Heaven which could be theirs.

                Jesus was challenging his followers to realise there was another way to live other than under the control of a dominating power. As history records, he was to pay the ultimate price for his bold act.

Palm Sunday parade

The Entry

                And so a procession was created with Jesus' followers who were with him and no doubt other pilgrims and locals who chose to join in. John even says that a crowd of people from the city went out to greet him (12: 18). In modern parlance, they rolled out the red carpet for this special dignitary.

                Thus Palm Sunday was born. But this title did not arise from Mark's writing (“leafy branches which they had cut from the fields”), nor Matthew's (“others cut branches from the trees”), nor Luke who has no mention of any kind of vegetation. Only in John's Gospel do we read about palm branches.

All cut and ready for Palm Sunday.

Laying down one's garments as an act of high honour towards some royal person has precedent in the Old Testament. In 2 Kings 9: 13 for example, when Jehu is anointed King of Israel the historian tells us, “Then in haste every man of them took his garment, and put it under him on the bare steps, and they blew the trumpet, and proclaimed, 'Jehu is king!'.” 

                It is really hard to gauge how large a crowd really did accompany Jesus. The phrase “those who went before and those who followed” would seem to indicate a considerable number. Luke writes about “the whole multitude of the disciples”. John's report also indicates a large number, for he writes about a great crowd of pilgrims who were in the city for Passover hearing about what was happening and going out to meet the procession. Estimates put the number of pilgrims who would come to the Holy City for the Passover at between one hundred and two hundred thousand. If this was the case the crowd with Jesus could have been quite large.

                And in their religious fervour they began dancing and singing. The words they were chanting were mainly snatches from the Hallel psalms. These were the psalms (in our version of the Bible,113 – 118) which were used in the liturgy of the feasts of the Tabernacles and Passover.

                Hosanna is a transliteration of the Hebrew word hosa – na (save please) where in psalm 118:25 the RSV reads “Save us, we beseech thee O Lord!”

                “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord” is a direct quotation of Psalm 118:26 and was the usual greeting given to pilgrims coming to Jerusalem for festivals, particularly when entering the temple area. These words then seem to be a religious welcome given to Jesus.

                The next words, “Blessed is the kingdom of our father David that is coming” is not a direct biblical quote. It does echo the previous “blessed” statement but with definite messianic overtones. Do the people here see in Jesus that Messiah in the style of King David that would free Israel from her present domination by foreign powers and bring back the “good old times” of the King David era?

                Mark records that just previously in Jericho the blind beggar, Bartimaeus, had hailed Jesus with the words, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” During those politically unstable, religiously fervent times the general populace was longing for the appearance of a messiah to free them from Roman political enslavement. Many were anticipating a new Davidic kingdom. Was this it? Was Jesus the man?

                The nature of Jesus' entry however did not point to a military hero who would rescue them.

Nevertheless their cry goes out to their God who dwells in the highest heavens. “Hosanna in the highest!” This is a phrase which was made at a time when there appeared to be a three tiered understanding of reality – people here on earth, hell down below and God dwelling beyond the skies.

“Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord from the heavens. Praise him in the heights” (Psalm 148: 1).

“Even now, behold my witness is in heaven and he that vouches for me is on high” (Job 16: 19).

                I suppose that even today when asked where they think heaven is most would say, “up there somewhere”. So what the people were really chanting was, “Grant salvation (i.e. freedom from our Roman bondage) O Lord who lives in the highest heavens”.

                Jesus is recognised as king by the people while he is outside Jerusalem. On entering the city he enters the realm of Roman domination and the religious dictatorship of the religious leaders. Here he will be rejected and ultimately crucified.

Plenty of palm trees throughout Israel, but I didn't see many on the Mount of Olives; certainly not like this beauty on Mt Carmen with the Bab Shrine and Haifa below.

Imagine you were there !

I walked down this Palm Sunday Road. It was full of people dodging the cars which were moving up and down. One's mind was mainly on keeping life and limb safe and following the leader's Australian flag which was moving relentlessly down the hill. Thoughts however did cross my path.

Imagine you were there when Jesus made his symbolic entry. But go there not as a twenty first century Christian but as a Jew at that time.

What would you be thinking?

Why are you cheering him on?

Whom do you think he is? Jesus from Nazareth. Yes, but what does he represent? You would not see him as the founder of a new religion. He is not a god. Heaven forbid! There is only ONE God. You have learnt that from a child. 

No, you would probably see him as the awaited Messiah. The Messiah as understood by the people at that time, not as we understand the term today.

Would you see a different person if you laid aside all the Christian understandings that have developed since then? Can we really know what the people at that time were thinking? Were they welcoming the same Jesus whom we know today?

                Every year we hear a Palm Sunday sermon based on one of the Gospel writer's account of the event. Pope Benedict's sermon on Palm Sunday, 2012 concluded as follows:

"As we conclude, let us listen once again to the words of one of these early fathers, Saint Andrew, Bishop of Crete. 'It is ourselves that we must spread under Christ's feet, not coats or lifeless branches or shoots of trees, matter which wastes away and delights the eye only for a few brief hours. But we have clothed ourselves with Christ's grace, with the whole Christ - "for as many of you as were baptised into Christ have put on Christ" - so let us spread ourselves like coats under his feet. Let us offer not palm branches but the prizes of victory to the conqueror of death. Today let us too give voice with the children to that sacred chant, as we wave the spiritual branches of our soul: 'Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, the King of Israel.' "

Palm Sunday

The Donkey

                Here's a thought. Jesus spent the years of his ministry walking around the countryside, together with his band of disciples, "proclaiming," as Mark puts it (1:14), "the good news of God." Yes, I think most have the idea that he walked. Then he arrives at the Mount of Olives, at the doorstep of his destination, Jerusalem, a mere half a kilometre to go, and what does he do?

He decides to ride on a donkey that last little stretch. And it's a pretty steep pinch down into the Kidron Valley from the top of the range. It would have been much easier walking down the path than balancing on a small donkey while it picked its way between the rocks and ruts.

This local and his saddled ass, here on the Mount of Olives, does not let us forget that Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey.

                Why then did he decide to ride down that last little distance on a donkey? It wasn't a last minute decision. It is clear that he had planned well ahead of time to do this. This is how Mark tells it (11:1-3): "As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage and Bethany at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two of his disciples saying to them, "Go to the village ahead of you, and just as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one had ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone asks you,' Why are you doing this?' tell him, 'The Lord needs it and will send it back here shortly.' "

                Reading this, one has no doubt that Jesus had made prior arrangements. Then the account reads almost as a thriller when the locals demand a password from the two disciples whom Jesus had sent to fetch the animal. "What are you doing untying that colt?' they put to them. Then they recited Jesus' password and were allowed to take the donkey away with them.

                Yes, Jesus had definitely planned to ride a donkey into Jerusalem on this occasion. And why? Mark gives no specific reason, but Matthew says it was "to fulfil what was spoken through the prophet: 'Say to the daughter of Zion, See your king comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey' " (Matthew 21: 4-5).

                (It is amusing to note how Matthew then becomes a little over enthusiastic in his literal reading of Zechariah's poetry and has Jesus riding on two animals, the mother and her colt - some sort of circus act!)

                This whole episode is a symbolic act on the part of Jesus showing what sort of Messiah he really is. Zechariah continues, "I will take away the chariots from Ephraim and the war-horses from Jerusalem, and the battle bow will be broken. He will proclaim peace to the nations."

                This king, The Shepherd King of Zechariah, will expel war and unrest from the lands - the chariots, war-horses and bows and arrows will go - and he will rule as a King of Peace. This humility was symbolised by the donkey, an animal often ridiculed, but in this instance chosen by Jesus to help proclaim his message. How better to emphasise it than to act it out.

                G.K.Chesterton was an English author and poet during the first half of the twentieth century. (Have you watched Father Brown on TV?) Here is a short poem of his entitled, yes, The Donkey.

                When fishes flew and forests walked

                and figs grew upon thorn,

                Some moment when the moon was blood

                Then surely I was born.

                With monstrous head and sickening cry

                and ears like errant wings,

                The devil's walking parody

                on all four-footed things.

                The tatter'd outlaw of the earth

                Of ancient crooked will

                Starve, scourge, deride me, I am dumb

                I keep my secret still.

                Fools! For I also had my hour;

                One far, fierce hour and sweet:

                There was a shout about my ears,

                And palms before my feet.

"Monstrous head and ears like errant wings" - Would even his mother love him?

Mount of Olives

Note: My posts over the next weeks, although still arising out of my recent trip to Israel, will reflect topics relevant to the Christian Holy Week.

The Mount

                I stood looking across the Kidron Valley to Jerusalem. The sky was summer blue. The city was a broad sweep of dull dun and there was a scattering of dark and olive green. Central to all of this was the glittering golden dome set on its blue base. This beautiful building is the Dome of the Rock, one of Islam's holiest shrines. Many, like me, have stood at this point on the Mount of Olives and reflected on what they saw and what they couldn't  see. I witnessed people sobbing with emotion, overcome by what they saw and felt.

Looking across to Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives. The colours would have changed little from Jesus' day.

                The Mount of Olives is a chain of low mountains running north/south to the east of Jerusalem. A good place for growing olives, one might assume! One descends the hills, crosses the narrow Kidron Valley and arrives at the eastern wall of the city. The hills are some 800 metres above sea-level, significantly above the height of Jerusalem. From the mount one can look down on the holy city. The two villages of Bethany and Bethphage (mentioned on Jesus' travels) as well as others scattered throughout the mountain, were located in farmland pockets which provided much of the fruit and vegetables for the city.

                Many years ago Jesus also stood here, probably close to where I stood, saw the Holy City and reflected on what he saw: "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your chickens together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wing, but you were not willing. Look, your house is left to you desolate."        

                What did Jesus see? The blue sky would not have altered. The dull, dun colour of the buildings, local limestone, would have been the same. I suspect that there would have been larger patches of dark and olive green. Central to his gaze also would have been the glittering gold, but the gold of a square and not a dome as I saw. The spectacular gold he saw was the gold of their holy temple - the earthly dwelling place of their God. But he saw more than this.

                Jesus looked. He was sad and sombre as he reflected on the likely future of this city. I looked and I was saddened as I reflected on what the past 2000 years had done to this City of God.

                Jesus looked and like the prophets of old, saw the destruction of a people whose hearts had wandered from the God of their ancestors. Here was once again the farmer prophet, Amos, who saw the religious leaders exploiting the poor. Here once again was Jeremiah warning Jerusalem of its approaching calamity. But Jesus' immediate future lay in this city. It lay here with the religious elite who spurned the general public. It lay here with the temple officials who cared mainly for themselves. It lay here with the High Priest and his advisors who collaborated with the enemy rulers. It lay here with the Roman soldiers patrolling the streets.  His end would be on a hill just outside the walls of the city.

                I remember driving to Adelaide, South Australia, for the first time many years ago. Coming from the east, as I did, one had to drive down to the city from the Mt Lofty hills. As I was driving and seeing glimpses of our City of Churches below, I thought, "I'm finally here."

                The Mount of Olives was a watershed for Jesus as well. One can picture him looking across at the city, his destination, and saying, "I'm finally here." He knew what fate awaited him in Jerusalem and he could have turned back, headed down to Jericho, north along the Jordan River, back to the relative safety of Galilee. He didn't. He chose to continue his life's calling to the end.

                The Mount of Olives was the beginning of Jesus' last week.

It couldn't be the Mount of Olives without a few olive trees. here are a few younger trees on the slopes.

Isn't it true that there are times when we also are standing on our own little Mount of Olives looking out into the future? What we see could be foreboding; it could bring discomfort, test our endurance. Our choice should be to go ahead and do the right thing, remembering some good advice from the Book of Proverbs (3:5-6): "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding: in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight."  

Caesarea Maritima

Caesarea Maritima

                Everything is change; before becomes now and now is merely the aged once. This fact cannot be changed whether referring to me or all that is around me. "You're not the man you used to be!" I've been told that a number of times if my memory serves me correctly. It is true. Like the friends of my childhood, I too have grown old.

                Thinking back to those days, I realise also that the places of my early days have also changed. The family home is no more. First dismantled and rebuilt in a more modern style. This then was destroyed by fire. And the creek crossing on my way to school. This was a wonderful place to play, to fish, to get wet before arriving at school. Today it can hardly be recognised for the flood-waters of half a century have eroded new paths, made the deeps shallow. Only the memories remain.

                These are small environmental changes which have impacted on me to some extent. Everyone can stop for  moment and think of the changes which have occurred over a lifetime. That is the nature of creation. It is everywhere for us to see.  "Change" was a word which came to my mind when our itinerary brought us to Caesarea Maritima.

                Caesarea Maritima today is predominantly an archaeological site where attempts are being made to bring back to "life" some of the glory which was once a thriving, bustling capital city. This city grew when the power and wealth of Herod the Great took an old Phoenician naval base and made it into a large port and royal city. He built breakwaters into the temperamental Mediterranean Sea making safe haven for ships. He built a palace and around it a city of over 100000. He named his new creation Caesarea in honour of Augustus Caesar, the Roman ruler at the time.

                The site he chose lacked fresh water and so he had an aqueduct constructed, which brought water from Mt Carmel sixteen kilometres to the north. This was the first ancient evidence we  saw as we approached the old city site. It ran along the sandy beaches of the Mediterranean. What a surprise. Two thousand years ago it had been built and it was still standing proudly. Storm and tsunamis, earth tremors and the ravages of time had not wrought much change to the solid workmanship.

Part of the aqueduct which brought water from Mt Carmel, 16 kilometres to the north, to Herod's new city.

But what of the city? "What city?" one could well ask as our tour group made its way towards the eating places which had grown up here.  "A pie, a pie!" I heard him cry from beneath the fluttering boxing kangaroo, "My smart phone for a pie!"  Oh, what travelling for fourteen days in the land of the falafel can do to one. But how could 2000 years have done so much damage to a solidly constructed city? Why should it be that after this time the foundations of Herod's achievement needed to be dug up from metres below the present land surface, or that the mighty rock walls of the port lie deep beneath the water? Has time created so much change?

                The creek near my old primary school (it has now closed) has altered, but the forces of change to a country creek crossing pale to insignificance when contrasted with the ebb and flow of countries vying for supremacy in the Levant. Caesarea has suffered in that struggle.

                In Herod's time it was great; one of his finest building achievements, and he had many! As a friend of Rome in the Roman world he had no challengers. After his death - and he was not granted many years to enjoy his seaside paradise - the Roman governors lived here. For them this was preferable to living in Jerusalem,  the Jewish capital of the area. They would pop up there when needed.

                Pontius Pilate lived here in Herod's palace when Jesus walked the pathways of Galilee. Here in Caesarea, back in 1961, a dedicatory stone to the Emperor Tiberius with the inscription "Pontius Pilate, prefect of Judea" was located here. A replica of this stone can be still seen on the location of the previous palace. The Roman governors did add to its beauty for it was they who would enjoy the benefits.

Playing Ben Hur in the uncovered hippodrome at Caesar Maritima.

The ebbing and flowing of power was about to begin and the beauty of the city suffered, ending in destruction - Romans, Arabs, Crusaders, Saladin (Arabs again), Crusaders again, and finally Mamluks who completely raised the city. The ruins lay there, sinking into the waters of the Mediterranean, buried by the sands of time until the 1950s when excavations began uncovering its long history.

                Today the process of piecing back its royal buildings and playgrounds in not easy. Fields of ancient building materials bear witness to this. Rebuilding moves slowly.

                Will Caesarea Maritima ever be more than an archaeological site and a reminder of how time changes the world?  Probably not.

Fields of fallen glory.

Cana. Wedding at Cana

Wedding at Cana

                Twenty kilometres west of the cool waters of the Sea of Galilee, in dry hill country, lies the town of Kfar Kana. Although hotly disputed by many biblical scholars, this town is identified with the Cana of John 2:1-11, where Jesus attended a wedding and changed water into wine. This "miraculous sign" of Jesus, his first according to John's Gospel, is commemorated by the Franciscan Wedding Chapel located in the old section of the town.

The happy couple waiting in front of the Wedding Chapel in Cana.

Vows renewed, that happy moment revisited in the small chapel in Cana.

chapel is the focus of the pilgrims' visit to Cana. Whether they come here to meditate on the glory of Jesus or to tick off another Jesus place, I'm not qualified to say. I am aware, however that many visitors come here to take the opportunity of renewing their previous wedding vows in the main chapel or the smaller adjunct.

                And so it was that five couples from our touring group chose to do just that. Pastor Peter, the ordained clergyman in the group, had prepared an order of service appropriate to the situation. It was celebrated with all members of the group.

                "A very moving ceremony."

                "I became quite emotional, even more so than at my actual wedding."

                "An experience I shall never forget."

                "What a wonderful service, it's easy to see why the couples wanted to be part of it."

                "A very slick cameraman recording the whole ceremony for the participants to cherish."

                These were some of the comments of those involved in our particular event.

                I have no doubt that this was an especially memorable event for those ten people who chose to renew their marriage vows in this setting, and for those who witnessed the event as well. After all, many do see the story as related by John as Jesus' affirmation of the sanctity of marriage and so here Jesus' blessing on the reaffirmed union could feel more apposite. I was not one of the five participating couples and so I cannot speak from personal experience. I did have the opportunity to sample the wine on offer after the ceremony and can confirm that it was very good.

                I must admit that during the service my mind did wander. Back to my own marriage? No, not on this occasion. At times there seems to be some compelling power in my pew that tends to deflect my thoughts away from what the preacher is trying to emphasise. One thought on this occasion went back to a discussion I have read which debated whether this was actually Jesus' own wedding.

                "Jesus' own wedding? But that's not what the text says as a careful reading of it makes clear."

                But on the other hand:

                "On a careful reading it will be discovered that no less a person than Jesus himself was married on that occasion."

                Two careful readings, two opposing conclusions. A situation such as this should encourage me to go back and read John's account again - but carefully - and convince myself one way or the other.

                But that reading will not answer another question that is often asked, especially in more recent times: Was Jesus married?

                Until a few decades ago if one were to ask the general person in the street if Jesus were married the question would have been met with an incredulous stare and a "What? Was Jesus married?" and the vast majority would have given a short negative reply, perhaps prefixing it with a "What a silly question" or some similar expression. In Christian churches throughout the world the question would have been readily answered with a "No" - if it were asked at all.

                Since the popular fiction novel The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown was publishes in 2003 - and apparently over 80 million copies were sold - interest in Jesus' marital status had increased. Dan Brown's fictitious claim that Jesus was married to Mary Magdalene has created a popular issue which many biblical scholars, commentators, church interest groups and lay people are scurrying to address. One hears of many answers other than a simple yes or no.

                * A pointless question, for Jesus did not exist.

                * Don't know and don't care.

                * He may have been, but then again maybe not.

                * It's not stated in the bible that he was, which probably means that he wasn't.

                * The Bible is silent of this issue which does not rule out the possibility that he was.

                * Whether he was or wasn't is immaterial for it would have no bearing on our salvation.

and so on.....

                Using the Bible purely as an historical document, one discovers that nowhere is there a statement  of whether Jesus was married or not. The absence of a statement that he was not married cannot be taken as an indication that he was. Nor can the absence of a statement that he was married be taken as an indication that he was not married. Suggestions can be argued and the onus of proof would be on those who claim that he was married.

                In all of this daydreaming I was prompted to go back to John, chapter 2, and undertake a careful reading of the wedding at Cana. What  crossed my mind was this: I wonder whether the writer wants us to take this story literally, i.e. as a newly baptised preacher miraculously changing six large jars of water into 600 litres of fine wine, or are we to approach this metaphorically, looking for a more-than-literal meaning. This need for a metaphorical understanding is so common in the Bible and especially in the Gospel of John. John even has a dig at those who want to take his writing too literally when in the story about Nicodemus (chapter3) he had Nicodemus say, (verse4):"How can a man be born when he is old? Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother's womb to be born!"

                My attention was already alerted at the beginning of the story when I read (v.1) "on the third day". The third day after what? The maths does not add up on reading the first chapter of John. This has to be John's reference to Jesus' ultimate fate and nothing to do with the date of this wedding.

                Then it states that "Jesus' mother was there" (v.1). Why specify Jesus' mother (and not calling her Mary) with no mention of his father, Joseph, and his brothers and sisters? This is even more intriguing when it is realised that the next time she gets a mention in this Gospel is chapter 19:25, when she is near Jesus' cross. Her name, Mary, is not mentioned there either. It seems that this character is being used to join "after three days" with the crucifixion.

                Then strangely in verse 3 Jesus' mother (an invited guest) takes it upon herself to get involved in arranging for more wine. And she approaches her son. Why should he be concerned, under normal circumstances, that the host had under catered. And how did she know that he could perform miraculous feats? We are told later (verse 11) that this was his first.

                Jesus' reply to his mother: "Dear woman, why do you involve me? My time has not yet come" surely calls for some explanation.

                Then the six water jars, the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing (v.6) appear to be empty for Jesus told the servants to fill the jars. This is an important fact when looking for a meaning to this story. The quantity (600 litres) and the quality - "the best" - must surely refer to the abundant, wonderful life that the Kingdom of God will make possible and not relate literally to the new supplies available to the guests.

What fullness of life is represented here in these water jars!

                So I could go on in my careful reading of this story and my many questions and observations would lead me to suggest that John wanted his readers to look at this story metaphorically -to  search for its deeper, real meaning. What is this? Each reader will come to a conclusion.

Sarona, Templars

Sarona

                It was merely a short two hour visit during a crowded 12 day pilgrimage of the Holy Land, but for me it was the beginning of much more. "We visit Sarona" was the brief listing in the itinerary, an item that one could quite easily read over without giving it much thought. But it was listed and when in Tel Aviv, that large, modern bustling city, we did visit Sarona, and I did begin my voyage of discovery.

                Bethlehem, Stations of the Cross, Sea of Galilee, Cana etc. these all rang a loud Christian bell for me, but Sarona! Who, or what, or where, or why is Sarona?

                Sarona. What a beautiful sounding name, coming right from the back of the throat. It doesn't roll off the tongue but echoes out from below .My first job was to find out where this word came from - its origin, its meaning. The site now called Sarona was originally a settlement located on the coastal lowlands of Palestine named the Plains of Sharon. The German people who settled here called this the Scharon Plains and so they named their new home after the traditional name of the area Scharona. This is now Sarona.

                So we visited what turned out to be a restful, peaceful piece of Eden in the midst of high rise Tel Aviv. We went in with Gail's (our tour guide) explanation, but much of this was forgotten while enjoying the atmosphere or eating ice-cream or rushing to find an ATM which spoke English.

A peaceful pond and a touch of Germany in Sarona, Tel Aviv.

for the moment let's leave the green lawns, the gentle breezes and the air-conditioned market hall (with ATM) and go back to when Sarona all started. Our time machine will need to transport us back 160 years to Württemberg in Germany.

                Here in the mid-nineteenth century a pietism movement within the Lutheran Church put themselves offside with the established church. This group was known as the Tempelgesellschaft (Temple Society) which we now know as the Templers.

NOTE: These people, TemplErs, should not be confused with TemplArs or Kinghts Templar. This was a Catholic Military Order Of Knights, closely involved in the Crusades, which existed in the 12th and 13th centuries.

They looked particularly to 1 Cor.3:16 and 1 Peter 2:5 for their basics of their approach to Christian living. The godliness which they showed in everyday living was, for them, more important than following organised religious formalities. The rift with the main Lutheran Church became inevitable when the Templers adopted millennial beliefs. A major factor in the group's migrating to Palestine was the thought that their strong spiritual beliefs would promote the rebuilding of the temple on Mount Zion. This in turn would hasten the second coming of Christ.

                They were duly excommunicated from the mother church and groups did migrate to Palestine to practise their religious freedom. They purchased land and established agricultural settlements. Sarona was one of these. Years of hard, dedicated work created successful enterprises, which showed the way for other settlements as well.

                But the twentieth century brought two world wars and Germany was the loser in both. This had repercussions for German citizens throughout the world and not only in Germany itself. 1919 saw most of the Templers in Palestine expelled by the British and placed in internment camps in Egypt. On returning in 1921 they had to begin rebuilding their deteriorated homes and fields.

                Then came World War 2 and again the German citizens in Palestine were interned. In 1941 most of the people living in Sarona (functioning as an internment camp at this time) were shipped to Australia. Here they were placed in an internment camp at Tatura near Shepparton in Victoria. They had to leave their home, land and belongings never to be allowed back there again to live.

                For years the European-styled houses of the Templers in Sarona gradually deteriorated from the use to which they were put. However their significance in the heritage history of Israel has now been recognised. The houses have not been demolished but renovated and their surrounds  beautified. The homes with their shuttered windows, small balconies and sloped rooves contrast greatly with the high rise city beside them.

                Which brings us back to 2016. Here I can now experience an oasis of calm and beauty. I see family groups enjoying the playing area. Groups of the beautiful people, the top-enders, are caressing their Latte Macchiato and Skinny chinos while lamenting the price increase of their Mercedes and Calypso holidays. Students frolic on the lawns while the elderly sit beside the lily pond and ponder youthful times. The glitterati are checking out the latest additions to the boutiques. The slim wad of NIS in my wallet would not draw me into these shops.

Coffees, shutters and brand labels in what was once a Templar's home.

This is now Sarona in the midst of bustling Tel Aviv. It has come a long way from the malaria infested swamps which claimed the lives of so many of those Templers who chose to practise their religious free here. Now it's green lawns, peaceful ponds and enticing retail outlets are magnets for the good life.

                And those Templers who were shipped to Australia? They could not return to Palestine (now Israel) and had nowhere else to go so the majority stayed in Australia. There is still a number of Templer Society groups operating here, mainly in Victoria.

                Oh, and something completely irrelevant to Sarona. While I was reading a Templer publication commemorating 75 years of Templer presence in Australia (24/08/2016 was the 75th anniversary of their arrival on the Queen Elizabeth) I came across a school class photograph from the Tatura camp. There on that photo, sitting cross-legged in front, were two boys with whom I went to secondary school. They were not Templers but sons of a German missionary from New Guinea. They also, together with many other German citizens living there at the time, were interned here during World War 2.