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Meanwhile, on every side there is a quest for the tourist's money, sometime legitimate, sometimes deceitful. |
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I was walking in the old city [Jerusalem], and really making my way through and praying for the people, and looking for a place where I could buy a Talit. As I walked a man came up and introduced himself as Moeshe. "I am a tour guide," he told me, "here let me show you something." So, I walked along and Moeshe pointed out the old Roman ruins from the city as he led me through the Jewish quarter. "Moeshe," I said to him more than once, "you do not have to do this although I appreciate it." "It is my pleasure. And besides times are so bad and I need work." "Moeshe, I am not prepared to pay you," I said. "I just do this as a kindness, I expect nothing from you, although, times are very bad," He said. Then led me over to an overlook of the Wailing Wall. I was amazed by his knowledge and blessed by that, but totally naive as to motive (it was not until the next day that we received our lecture on "sharks" in the Old City!). Moeshe told me again how he had to support his family and had little money. He expected pay for his services. I was praying as we walked along. Asking the Lord to touch and bless his life. And also asked the Lord if I should give him anything as a thank you. I sensed 10NLS laid upon my heart. So, had that coin ready as I shook his hand to part from him, I gave him a the coin (about $2.50) just as a small token of thanks. He had been leading me about for about 10 minutes. Moeshe scoffed at the coin, offended. "This is nothing, Brian!" he spat. "This is child’s money." Now, I don’t know what he considers child’s money, but he was talking to a person who considers $2 quite a bit sometimes, and especially in Israel it is not "nothing." I responded: "Moeshe, I never hired you to give me a tour. You even said that I did not have to pay you. That is not much, but it is something." He acted offended, shocked, displeased, which the people in the Old City are very good at doing. I felt manipulated. He began to "wheeze, whine and prod" me for more funds, talking about his children and wife, etc. So, out of pity and out of a desire not to come off as such a "horrible man" who would not pay him for his services, offered him 20NLS more. Still, Moeshe was not satisfied: "Brian, 80NLS perhaps, but not just 30NLS! That would be more worth it." Then I was not only feeling manipulated, but angry: "What is this you are doing?" I asked. "I do not have that kind of money and would not pay you that much for 10 minutes time if I did. You can have the extra 20NLS, or nothing. If that does not satisfy you, then fine. You are manipulative and deceitful in behavior. If you want more, you can give me back the 30NLS and go your way." At that, seeing I was not going to be dealt with in that manner, he accepted 30NLS, stopped the manipulative wheezing and left. I walked down to the wailing wall, prayed there for the Jewish people and the nation, while I continued to struggle over the experience I had had with Moeshe. I ended up finding a Talit at what I thought was a Jewish but turned out to be an Arab-owned shop in the Moslem Quarter. The shopkeeper, Abu Maher, (the arabic name should have clued me in on the fact that he was Arab, but I had not caught on...) pointed to all the business cards on the wall saying that all these people had been his customers. He pointed to an Intel card and asked: "You know of Intel, don’t you?" The 2 Meter Talit that he had was beautiful. But then I was not experienced enough to know that they were as common as dirt. He ended up coming down in price from 400NLS (a price which had caused my eyes to believe it was even more beautiful, to cost so much!) to 100NLS (about $25, actually a good price) and that only because I had given Moeshe 30NLS and only had 100NLS left on me. Thankfully, I had no wallet with me, so literally had no other funds nor a VISA card! I left the old city feeling like "easy prey".
So, by the next morning, I was still working on my experiences. Lord, I wrote into my journal, I am so mad that he did this. How do I process this kind of person? I do not understand the heart of people who lie and have no qualms. I realized during that time of reflection and prayer that Abu Maher probably had not had all those American customers, but rather his children had been asking travelers for business cards for years and he has put them up on his wall. And I had believed him! I wrote: I don’t know what makes me more angry, Lord, the fact that they lied or that I believed them! I don’t know, but I want to bring all this to you. I am so mad still. I say, "I forgive Moeshe and Abu," but Lord, there is a bit of fear here too. I mean these guys got lots of money from me (ok, it was about $35, but felt like a fortune) and I still feel like I gave against my will. That’s when the Lord responded: Child, the people are walking in years of habit. You are seeing the fruit of not just one man’s approach to life, but a cultural theme played out over centuries. So, you must look at them through My eyes. They are bound in darkness, lost to the truth of the Gospel, "without hope and without God in this world." They are dead in their transgressions and sins, "in which you used to live when you followed the ways of the world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient... gratifying the cravings of the sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts." (Scripture quotes from Ephesians 2, quickened to my heart) Think on these realities. Look at the people you meet as people needing ME, child, not people who already know ME. Look at every encounter as an opportunity to love someone closer to ME. Remember, that I told you to give 10NLS to Moeshe? Well, child, you were disobedient to me in that transaction. Next time, STAND in what I say and trust me. Certainly it was not pay for his time, it was simply a gesture of love. But notice what this revealed about your heart too! You wanted him to like you by what you had given. So my plan, child, was to have that desire of yours fail. You cannot find your identity in what others think of you, but only in what I THINK OF YOU. And child, I love you. After that message of mercy and grace into my heart, that gentle rebuke from my loving Heavenly Father, I could easily release Moeshe and Abu from any harsh judgments and pray for them to meet the true King. And that’s what Jesus is about in your life too. Everything experienced, everything encountered is to conform you more and more into His image. The subtle themes of selfishness, pride, manipulation or misplaced identity will be exposed so that righteousness can be fully established. May Jesus accomplish that for you and in you today and everyday! |
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