Jesus therefore no longer walked openly among the Jews but departed from there to the countryside near the wilderness, to a town called Ephraim, and he stayed there with the disciples.

John 11:54 CSB

Jesus has just brought Lazarus back from death, and the Jewish leaders are over having his popularity grow, over having people believe that Jesus is who he said he is. And they are going to have him killed. 

Murder in the name of religion. In the name of God. 

Just read an article that describes how in the year 988 Vladimir the Rus, a pagan king, married the daughter of the Byzantine emporer, but first had to convert to Christianity. He did that and there was a mass baptism. In Kyev. The start of the Russian Orthodox Church and the underpinning of the current conflict. 

Religion at the heart of conflict. 

Again.

Religious based power was at the heart of the conflict that Jesus faced,  but Jesus battle was not with the Jewish leaders or the power of Rome, but with the darkness that invades the human heart, and that battle with death and darkness was coming, but it wasn't today. 

Jesus went bush. 

Gapped it to the hills.

There's times when that is the best action for us too. The battle is for another day, today we walk away. We can't always do that, but often we can. Maybe it's a big thing, or maybe it's just not sending that message, not responding even when we know we're right. 

Jesus went bush and kept close to his team. There's days when I know that this is right for me too.

#monday

#Godsgym