For Lent: Taking the Footsteps of Jesus

Photo Credit: Mary Ann Flannery, S.C.

I have a very informative map of the Holy Land which I received as part of the tour I had taken two years ago in September. On one side is an enlarged display of where Jesus traveled during his mission along with an accompanying sidebar legend indicating exactly where certain events had taken place in his life and where they are on the map. On the reverse side the map is the same country but with every single town, village, road, bridge, major city, mountain range, river, lake, cave, museum, place of worship-and more-all indicated but most in very small print with only cities of importance in larger print. This map is harder to read without a magnifying glass, but it gives you a sense of the multitude of human activities and lives during the time of Jesus and today, that of modern Israel. This side of the map registers the histories of conquests from major empires and the histories of religious conquests that built famous shrines, churches, mosques, temples. 

I had been using my map to follow the atrocious war in Gaza poring over one side of the map or the other according to the detail I needed. Then I came across an insight shared by William Barclay, a Scottish theologian and writer. He pondered what I call the microscopic view of Jesus and the macroscopic view. In the microscopic view of Jesus, we look at his life as under a microscope turning the lens to “one event, one word, and see it in all its possible detail.” This is good for scriptural reading and reflection. But Barclay also encourages the ‘telescope’ method, one could say, the macroscopic method, “looking at the life of Jesus to see its broad, dramatic pattern.” If we use both the microscopic method and the telescope or macroscopic method together, we come to understand a more complete Jesus.  

As Lent began, I felt a call to ‘telescope’ the Jesus provided for us in each Sunday’s Gospel. This meant I would study the surroundings of that place examining them on the map before me. I would try and get to know the geographical area and the people inhabiting it. Were there mountains nearby, deserts, lakes, tightly cobbled little or big villages and towns? What did he see when he was in this place? This all would have affected Jesus as he ministered. 

But I had to test my idea. I decided to ‘telescope’ this coming Sunday’s Gospel. In it we will hear the Evangelist, Mark, describe the Transfiguration of Jesus on Mt. Tabor. I find Tabor on my map and see it is near both the Sea of Galilee and Nazareth. This means that Jesus is still within the region of his hometown or, more likely, he has returned to the area since he is now predicting in this passage his Resurrection, something not mentioned until later in his ministry. I sense he is comfortable here predicting his Resurrection and accepting the vision of Moses and Elias who appear encouraging him to ‘go on,’ to advance toward Jerusalem where he will be crucified. What is he feeling as he experiences the words of his Father spoken mysteriously on this mountain that he knew very well and probably played on as a boy—words directed to his followers: “This is my beloved Son. Listen to him.” In my reflection, the scene was both comforting for its familiarity and challenging for its message.  

I then consulted the journal I had kept while in the Holy Land. We had traveled to Tabor the day we visited many places in Galilee, but we did not expect the mountain to be so high and desert like. The road we took by shuttle was fairly perilous and quite steep. The day was extremely hot. Jesus is very familiar with Galilee but picturing him and his three apostles ascending this mountain became a source of admiration. Something was alluring him, something was calling him, something was working in the hearts of his apostles as well. I experienced a similar feeling as we ascended and ultimately visited the church on top of this hill. The day would have been hot for Jesus as well. But I was wondering, what am I called to? I am asked to “Listen to my beloved Son…” When I leave this mountain, how will I change my life? 

Reflection

Reading the scripture, applying the gospel story to a wider meditation which included the geography of the place, the characters in the story, and my personal journey to Mt. Tabor itself, all made a ‘telescopic’ Jesus narrative much more meaningful to me. It pains me very much that people cannot do this now through personal travel and we do not know when we will do it in the future. Every person I know who has made a pilgrimage to the Holy Land has said the journey changed their lives. But you can simulate the experience by taking the gospel reading for each Sunday and placing a map alongside it tracing the places the reading describes, and reflecting on how this place and these people might have influenced the story. You will be journeying with Christ if you do this all through Lent. Nearly every accepted Bible translation has maps of the Holy Land which you can include as part of this prayerful experience.

• Make every effort to adopt the use of the ‘telescope’ to widen your view of Jesus and the journey he made to Jerusalem for the final test. Pray with the Bible and map to understand Jesus more fully and your call to follow him.

• Have you tried other methods of understanding the Jesus found in scripture? What effects did this have on you?

It might help inspire you to pray this prayer as you embark on discovering this Jesus:

Solved in Walking

Pilgrim God, I ask that I walk with you, and you walk with me.

Let my steps bring me closer to you and my neighbor.

Let me entertain new ideas and explore new possibilities as I widen the

circle of love to embrace the world that you have created. Amen.

Franciscan Media, 2022

(Book referred to: Discovering Jesus by William Barclay. Westminster John Knox Press, 2000.)