“So from that time on, the Jewish leaders began to plot Jesus’ death. As a result, Jesus stopped his public ministry among the people and left Jerusalem. He went to a place near the wilderness, to the village of Ephraim, and stayed there with his disciples.”
John 11:53-54 NLT
The village of Ephraim wasn’t far from Jerusalem – just thirteen miles. But in those days that was far enough for Jesus to allow things to calm down in Jerusalem and get some peace from the threats of the religious leaders. His public ministry had divided the people into those who believed in Him, and those who didn’t, and it was the latter group that had decided to look for a way to kill Him. Such a course of action, by the religious leaders and their followers, men and women who claimed to follow the Law of Moses, people who knew that murder was on the list of the Ten Commandments, was extraordinary. But such was the anger being stirred up by the devil. He knew that Jesus was a real threat to him and he was going to do anything he could to close Jesus down, and allow him to get on with his devilish business of interfering with the lives of men and women, by introducing more and more evil and wickedness into the world.
Jesus stayed in the village with His disciples. A useful time for bonding and teaching. A time for a de-briefing to allow all that His followers had seen to be discussed. Learning opportunities and a time of rest to enable Jesus to prepare for what was about to come next.
We pilgrims sometimes need to take an example from Jesus, in that He spent time with His Father, resting in Him and recharging His spiritual batteries. And by so doing He was always ready and prepared for what was to come next in His life. By spending time with God we pilgrims will find answers to our questions, refreshment for our souls and resources for the day ahead. Jesus said in Matthew 6:33, “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need“. In our time spent with God we mustn’t neglect reading the Bible. Psalm 119:105, “Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path“. And of course we mustn’t neglect John 15:4, “Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me.”
Just as we can never survive for long in a natural lives without food, we cannot survive for long spiritually without spiritual food. Jesus went to Ephraim to receive His father’s wisdom for what was to come next. We pilgrims must often head for our spiritual Ephraims to recharge our batteries, and receive a new infilling of the Holy Spirit to resource our day ahead.
Dear Father God. We ask today for a fresh infilling of Your Holy Spirit so that rivers of living water will flow from us to those around us. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Being a Pilgrim 