The Fifth Gospel

“THE LAND is the fifth Gospel,” wrote Cyril of Jerusalem in 348 AD. “After one has seen the old cities and landscapes,” wrote St. Jerome a century later, “one reads the Bible with different eye.”

Those statements ring so true.  After walking where Jesus walked, gazing upon the Land of Milk and Honey and experiencing a pilgrimage of a lifetime, I WILL NEVER READ THE BIBLE THE SAME WAY AGAIN! The Bible leapt from the page and became a visual in my mind forevermore.

Matthew, Mark, Luke and John…the Four Gospels. 

The first four books of the New Testament that declares the good news and tell the accounts of Jesus’ life and ministry as He walked this earth as God-head in bodily form.  I have read these but I never thought or even considered a fifth gospel.  When our guide asked us what the fifth gospel was, I could sense the muscles in my face contort and my eyes squint with questions forming.  I think he saw it too.

Fifth gospel?  Well that’s a new one on me.  So our guide explained, “These lands, ruins and cities will declare the good news and testify of Jesus as you travel your way through it.”  This country that takes 14 seconds to fly across the width and 45 minutes to fly the length is a slice of tranquility surrounded by chaos (well until recent days) that cries out about The One that came before and those that paved the path and those that walked with and served him.

Our guide was correct!

The Sea of Galilee, Capernum, Mt. Carmel, Nazareth, Bethlehem and so many more shouted the authenticity of the Bible. My  favorite?  Well to begin with you are asking a gal that has trouble deciding what to eat when given the opportunity to go out, so of course the answer is ALL of THEM!!!!

Over the next few Tuesdays I will try to give you a glimpse of the land that declares The Light of the World.  That’s if I can narrow it down and not write a novel each day. J

But before we get started may I ask you…Are you maybe the Sixth gospel?  I have often heard that sometimes we are the only gospel that people read. 

Luke 19:37-40, “Then, as He was now drawing near the descent of the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works they had seen, saying: “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!”  and some of the Pharisees called to Him from the crowd, “Teacher, rebuke Your disciples.” But He answered and said to them, “I tell you that if these should keep silent, the stones would immediately cry out.”

Are you declaring The One and Only with your actions before others? How are you displaying Him for others?  Don’t keep silent we don’t want rocks shouting louder than us!