Day 04 - Capernaum, Katzrin, Magdala, Ancient Boat (Ginosar), Galilee Boat Ride

Shalom! We spent a beautiful day in and around the Sea of Galilee, starting with Capernaum - the place Jesus made the base for His ministry. Capernaum is the most visited site in Galilee, but this morning we had it all to ourselves.

So many things happened in Capernaum. It’s here that Jesus healed the man with the withered hand and healed the Centurian’s son. It’s here that the four men brought their paralyzed friend to be healed by Jesus (and tore through a roof to get him there).

Capernaum was a strategic place for Jesus to base Himself. See, it was the epicenter for “righteous Jews,” those devout men and women who studied the Scriptures and sought to live in obedience to God’s law. It was also situated along an important trade route - the Via Maris - so there were people passing through from all over. It was also on the border between Herod Antipas and Herod Philip’s territories, so it served as a tax collection point (think Matthew, the disciple) and there was military presence (think the Centurion and his command of a hundred soldiers).

The point is that Jesus did not choose Capernaum by accident. He made a strategic decision to be where the people - all sorts of people - were.

If we’re going to bring people the message of Jesus, we need to be where people are. We need to break outside of our “holy huddles” and position ourselves to tell the world about Him.

So, where are you among the people? Where could you possibly break out of what’s comfortable and familiar to position yourself to bring that message to those who, perhaps, have never heard it before?

From Capernaum, we headed east to Katzrin.

Katzrin is not a biblical site, but it’s a phenomenal place to go because there is a reconstructed synagogue and a home that would have been typical of the first and second century.

What makes Katzrin unique, though, is the cultural experience. You get to put on tunics and headdresses that resemble typical first-century attire. Depending on the time of year you go, their guides will lead you through a cultural experience.

We went during the time of the grape harvest, so we learned how to make wine. The first step, after the harvest, is to crush the grapes and gather the juice. How is that done, you ask?

You dump all of the grapes into a large stone basin and, well, stomp on them. Yes, in your bare feet. So, that’s what we did. Now, we obviously didn’t stay long enough to let that grape juice ferment, but the brave among us did try the freshly foot-stomped juice.

The point is not just to learn about the land of the Bible, but to experience the land of the Bible. Katzrin is just a wonderful place to get to do that.

We then swung over to the western side of the Sea to visit Magdala - hometown of Mary Magdalene (or, more accurately, Mary of Magdala).

Magdala was actually discovered quite recently - just fifteen years ago - and it was an incredible find. There’s a synagogue, a mikveh (a Jewish ritual bath), and a marketplace.

Then we, of course, talked about Mary. The Bible tells us that Jesus drove seven demons out of her and somewhere along the way a rumor developed that she was a prostitute (that’s not in the Bible, by the way). But there’s more to her than that.

She’s not referred to in relation to a father (“daughter of…”) or a husband (“wife of…”), as was common. Instead, she’s referred to in relation to her hometown, which was actually a way of honoring them. Mary, then, was likely a very prominent, highly respected woman in her community.

Most notably, however, in all four gospels Mary is recorded as being the first one to see the resurrected Jesus. Talk about an honor.

We often define people by their struggles, their bondages, their lowest points. Without a doubt, Mary needed deliverance – as we all do. But that’s not her whole story.

Your struggles, bondages, lowest points are not your whole story either. Yes, there are areas in which you need deliverance. There are for me, too. But those things are not all of who you are. They’re important, but not most important.

What’s most important is whether you’ve encountered the resurrected Jesus – and let that encounter change you. That is what defines you.

So, if you’re letting other things tell you who you are or what you’re worth, then take time to consider if that’s the right definition. Consider if your sense of identity needs re-orienting in the direction of Christ.

We then took a beautiful boat ride on the Sea of Galilee.

Like Capernaum, so many stories take place on the Sea of Galilee. Jesus calls His first disciples there. He calms a storm. He restores Peter after his betrayal.

We focused on the story of Jesus walking on water.

Peter, of course, gets out of the boat and begins walking towards Jesus. But then the wind and the waves cause him to lose his courage and he begins to sink.

Now, often, we look at that story and think, “Peter, how could you take your eyes off of Jesus? How could you let anything distract you? Where is your faith?”

First, tell me we always keep our eyes on Jesus, tell me we never get distracted, tell me we never lack faith…

But second, that’s not what would have stood out to the Jewish audience. What would have stood out was that Peter was the only one that got out of the boat and walked on water! Why? Because his rabbi was walking on water!

A student wants to know what the teacher knows, but a disciple wants to be what the teacher is and do what the teacher does. So Peter was doing what a disciple does, however imperfectly. The other eleven never even tried.

The question for us, then, is are we students or disciples? Are we more interested in learning about Jesus than we are becoming like Him?

Again, just another thing to contemplate.

We wrapped up our evening around a bonfire on the shore of the Sea of Galilee. We worshiped together, sang together, and just enjoyed being together. It was the perfect way to end our time in Galilee.

While we’re not quite ready to leave, we also can’t wait to make our way towards Jerusalem tomorrow!