Exodus 1:8-2:10; Romans 12: 1-8; Matthew 16:13-20
August 23, 2020
The location of today's gospel story has special significance in how we relate the story to our lives today. Julie and I visited this site when we were in Israel. It is located near the border between Israel and Lebanon. At the time of Jesus, it was near an important trade route. It was much more a Gentile location than Jewish. In fact, it was a site that at an earlier time was dedicated to a Greek god, Pan, who was depicted as half human, while having the legs and horns of a goat. There are still signs of the cave they used for their worship services.
August 23, 2020
The location of today's gospel story has special significance in how we relate the story to our lives today. Julie and I visited this site when we were in Israel. It is located near the border between Israel and Lebanon. At the time of Jesus, it was near an important trade route. It was much more a Gentile location than Jewish. In fact, it was a site that at an earlier time was dedicated to a Greek god, Pan, who was depicted as half human, while having the legs and horns of a goat. There are still signs of the cave they used for their worship services.