The Land of Black and White

Day 8 of the TBS Holy Land tour took us to experience the areas of Jesus' ministry near the Sea of Galilee, namely Chorazin, Tabgha, Capernaum and Mt. Arbel. After four days of wind and rain, our group was energized by a beautiful sunny sky and the promise of walking where Jesus ministered and performed miracles.

The beauty of Galilee is breathtaking. After a delicious and entertaining Shabot dinner Friday night, we rose to the glory of a cloudless morning sky and began our travail over the Jordan River as it feeds into the Galilian Sea. We climbed the hills and arrived atChorazin above the northwest shore, one of three towns, including Bethsaida and Capernaum, that make up the geographical triangle of Jesus' early ministry, and the three mentioned in Matthew 11 and Luke 10.

Chorazin's ancient ruins reveal the remnants of a community built from the basalt stone of volcanos in the nearby Golan Heights. This dark rock combined with the lighter limestone found just to the east give this area the nickname, the "Black and White" region.

Our next stop was the Mount of Beatitudes where Jesus began to teach his disciples and shared the message from Matthew 5. I had the pleasure of reading the Beatitudes passage from scripture to our TBS group today as we gathered at the Mount. What an emotional experience reading the words of Jesus with the Galilean valley as a backdrop. Tears filled my eyes remembering both the promise and the wisdom contained in that passage.

Before lunch, we made a brief stop at a new archaeological site near Magdala, home of Mary Magdalene, at the foot of Mt. Arbel. This site held geographical significance in ancient times as a major transportation route, the Via Maris, flows at the base of the mountain near Magdala. This ancient road connected civilizations to the north and south and provided commerce while serving as a gateway for control by conquering empires like the Egyptions, Romans, Byzantines and Ottomans.

After a tasty lunch of falafel, fries, and olives we moved on to Tabgha on the northwest shore of the Sea of Galilee. This is the traditional location where Jesus called his twelve disciples...where he called out to Simon, Peter, and Andrew to drop their nets and to James and John to come and follow him. This site claims to have some of the best fishing in Galilee because of the warm springs that feed the lake near this area. Jesus reappeared to his disciples at Tabgha following his resurrection.

Our final stop at Capernaum where Jesus lived, taught, prayed, healed, and ministered features an archeological site showing the area as a simple village with a population near 1000. Most were fisherman or peasants and included Simon Peter. The site now features a modern Catholic Church constructed over a portion of the ancient city remains.

Jesus taught and performed miracles in the region we visited today. Much of his instruction focused on preparing his disciples to carry on when he was gone. Something they didn't fully comprehend at the time and following his death, were still uncertain until he reappeared to them. John's gospel account shares Jesus' return "by the Sea of Tiberias" (Galilee) to give his disciples some fishing tips after a skunked night in the boat. Jesus tells them to try the nets on the other side. 153 fish later they're all eating breakfast on the shore near Tabgha.

If life has left you feeling poor in spirit, mourning, hungry or thirsty, take a look at the promises of Jesus' in Matthew 5, and if you have doubts, or are coping with failed hopes, then try the restoration story in John 21. Life is filled with black stones and white stones, but only Jesus, the teacher from the "Black and White" region of Galilee, can help you reconstruct your brokenness.

-Ed Larsen