Day 05 - Chorazin, Capernaum, Tabgha, Mount Arbel

Shalom!

Today was our first full day in Galilee – we are walking where Jesus walked. Incredible!

After breakfast, we met on the shore of the Sea of Galilee and reflected on what we experienced in the desert and prepared us for what we would encounter in the days to come.

Korazim / Chorazin

Our first stop of the day was Korazim, a village settlement from the 3rd and 4th centuries that was excavated in 1962 – 1964 and 1980 - 1987.  Yehuda and Terry explained how the people lived in that time. The synagogue, which was in remarkable condition, was located in the center of the village, denoting God’s importance and signifying Him as the center of their lives. While sitting within this synagogue, Yehuda taught us about how Jewish children are brought up to read the word of God. When Jewish boys have a bar mitzvah it is not just to celebrate their age, but rather to celebrate the fact that they are now old enough to read aloud from the scrolls to the people at the synagogue. This would be the most important text that they would ever read.

As we continued moving throughout the village we came to their dwelling place, known as insulas. These extended family dwellings had a large common open-air area in the middle for cooking, gathering, washing clothes, etc., and each family or couple  had a room just off of the common area. When a bride and groom were to be married, the fathers would build a new room for them. Once it was complete, they would marry and inhabit that space. This was reminiscent of John 14, in which Jesus states:

"Let not your heart be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father's house there are many room. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go to prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. And you know the way to where I am going."

Personally, I found this way of living to be so beautiful. The villagers knew each other on a deep level, they helped each other, and shared stories of their family and faith. They had intimacy, but little to no privacy. In this town geography mirrored spirituality.  Living conditions were modest, whereas the synagogue was grand. Terry pointed out that this is a far cry from how most of us live today. Our homes are often grand and our churches are in strip malls. Today we have a lot of privacy and very little intimacy. But is that how God wants us to live? Is that what Christ modeled?

Sin thrives in privacy, but gets stamped out in intimacy. Gossip destroys intimacy and should be avoided. We as people are brothers and sisters in Christ. We are an extended family. We need to recover our sense of intimacy and forgo privacy. Another idea that Terry encouraged us to hold on to is that we should not think of Christ as being #1 in our lives as though it is something to check off daily; rather, Jesus should be the center of our lives. He isn’t #1 because we are never done with him.

Capernaum

We then ventured to Capernaum, a large city on the Sea of Galilee. This city served as a home base for Jesus throughout his ministry and he performed around 40 miracles there. Given that Capernaum was well populated and a major place of commerce, the stories of Jesus and his miracles were easily disseminated throughout the land, thus preparing the way for the gospel. 

While at Capernaum we saw what they have excavated of Simon Peter’s home, as well as a synagogue from the 4th century. Yehuda taught us that only synagogues can be built over previously demolished synagogues. What I found to be so amazing about this site, was that they further excavated part of the synagogue, to find one below it dating back to the 1st century – the time when Jesus walked the earth. Jesus attended church in that synagogue!

While sitting beside the synagogue under beautiful olive trees, Terry spoke of the story in Luke 7. A centurion (a gentile) had a slave that was dying. The centurion begged Jesus to heal his slave, but claimed that he was not worthy enough to have Jesus enter his home. This was a man who did not follow the law or proper culture, but had the one thing needed – faith.

The only requisite for coming to Christ is your need and faith.

Tabgha

From Capernaum we traveled a few miles to the place of the seven springs, Tabgha. Located on the north-western shore of the Sea of Galilee, this was an excellent location for fishing since the springs would lead more fish to the sea (which is really a lake). This is the location where Jesus initially called to Peter and Andrew and told them to be fishers of men, as we read about in Matthew 4. The Bible says in Matthew 4:20 that as soon as Jesus called them “at once they left their nets and followed him.”  For the three years after this initial calling, Peter followed Christ, growing in faith on his journey.

After His death and resurrection, Jesus again calls to Peter from this same location (Tagbha). In John 21, Jesus calls to the disciples fishing in the Sea of Galilee. It references that they could not tell it was him initially even though they were not far off-shore. Seeing the significant fog and haze surrounding the lake in the morning with our own eyes, it was easy to understand why He was not immediately recognized by those nearest to Him. Once they realized it is Jesus speaking to them, Peter immediately jumped into the water and swam to meet Him. Jesus questions Peter, asking him three times “Do you love me?”

When Christ initially called Peter he followed without hesitation. He willingly and lovingly followed Christ for 3 years. After Christ’s death Peter become disillusioned and went back to fishing, back to his old way of life. When Jesus called to Peter a second time, He reminded Peter of his commission to be a fisher of men. Jesus was restoring Peter.

Terry explained that we often live like Peter – fervently following – but when hard times or the deserts of life come our way we are choked out and lose our zeal (as depicted in the Parable of the Sower in Matthew 13). He also mentioned that we all have a calling and we are to be faithful to that calling.

Romans 8:28 – “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.”

What a comfort to know that God is working things out, that He is in control.

Though we will face tough times, we must never go back to fishing.

Mount Arbel

After a delicious lunch of falafel, we drove to Mount Arbel. We drove most of the way up the mountain, but did hike the last bit up to the top. The view from this height (1200 ft about the Sea of Galilee) was outstanding, despite the haze that obscured part of the view.

Sitting on rocks at the top of this mountain, Terry spoke of the importance of prayer. Jesus modeled for us how to pray (Matthew 6: 5 - 15) and it’s recorded that He would often withdraw from others to pray and commune with God. It is believed that Jesus would go to Mount Arbel to pray and that this might be the location referenced in Mark 1:35 – "very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.”

Numerous times in the bible Jesus espouses the importance of prayer, even going so far as to tell us how we should pray. There is a strength in communing with God.

Philippians 4:6-7 “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

A key purpose of prayer and most likely Jesus’ purpose of prayer is to let go of the burdens of life and share them with our Father. When we let go, God will fill us with His peace. God is sovereign and works things out for good.

After sharing this message about prayer, we all sat quietly on the mountain top praying, casting our anxieties on God and taking in the majesty of His creation before us.

We unexpectedly had some extra time today, so that meant everyone was able to have a some leisure time. Many chose to swim in the pool or the Sea of Galilee.  It’s truly amazing what we have seen so far on this trip. Many of us are especially excited about what will take place tomorrow – being baptized in the Jordan River.