Day 5 – Galilee, Beth Shean, and Baptisms

This morning we woke up on the Sea of Galilee. As we stood on these shores that Jesus spent so much time around, we talked about his ministry in Galilee. Jesus is the King of kings, but he was also doing everyday life in little fishing villages with real people. Then and now, he is building his kingdom through relationships; one person at a time.

“Day 5 started with a fun boat ride on the Sea of Galilee that included a fishing demonstration, information about the lake, beautiful views, and even dancing! We have been traveling all around it the past few days, so it was really neat to see the shores from the middle of the water. You couldn’t help but think about the stories of Jesus and his disciples in and around the sea. Seeing the geography, the weather, and the land with our very own eyes in addition to learning more about their culture has given us a deeper understanding of the stories we have heard since we were little. Jesus walking on the water, the disciples not recognizing Jesus on the shore, the Sermon on the Mount… It reminds me of what Terry Feix always says that these were real people, living in real times with very real lives.

Next, we headed to Beth She’an which was an ancient Canaanite city at one time. The major significance of this city is that this is the site where Saul’s body was placed after his army fell to the Philistines on Mount Gilboa, ending Saul’s reign and his life (1 Sam. 31). 

After reading the story of Saul together, we turned around, walked up a hill, and could not believe what we saw! Down below were the incredible Greco-Roman ruins of the city Scythopolis. Because there was still so much there, it was easy to see the layout of the city and appreciate the grand architecture. 

Here we toured the ruins but also had great faith lessons comparing Israelite villages to Greco-Roman cities. Since we had visited Chorazin the day before it provided the perfect contrast to this type of city. 

In Chorazin, the synagogue was the center of the village and extended families lived together very intimately, reflecting the values of this community. In Scythopolis, the city was centered around commerce, pleasure, and entertainment projecting the values of that culture. Terry spoke about us as Christians having Chorazin values in a Scythopolis world, and that in everything God should be the center of our lives instead of the “gods” of the culture.”

-Aaron and Kelley Brister