What Is Your Jericho Road?

In the first century, the road down from Jerusalem to the town of Jericho ran along many ravines with many twists and turns. One of the nicknames that it had was “The Way of Blood” because it was not uncommon for thieving and violence to break out on that road. So the people who were listening to Jesus that day knew exactly what he was talking about as he set up the story of the Good Samaritan.

This is how he began:

Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead.” - Luke 10:30

In Sunday’s message, Katy White asked us repeatedly, “What is your Jericho road?” She shared that her Jericho road was Skid Row where she works. The Jericho road, she pointed out, is that place where a great need presents itself to you, and where it’s risky to engage it. Perhaps it a issue going on in our world today like educational injustice, or perhaps it’s a particular group of people like those with disabilities, or maybe it’s a physical location like Katy’s Skid Row.

Inevitably, our Jericho Roads always make us face ourselves. The bring up questions like, Do I have what it takes to make a difference? What if God doesn’t show up? What can I do anyway? What if it costs me too much?

And along with the questions, our Jericho Roads always call out of us a level of compassion and care that pushes our limits. So often, it’s in these places where our very best is brought out, sometimes even surprising us.

So how about you - what is your Jericho Road? See if you can you name it and embrace God’s call to it.