Originally published 2/23/19
Even though Israel is literally Ground Zero for people of several faiths, there is still so much doubt regarding the certainty of where most Biblical events took place. But Capernaum and the Sea of Galilee are about as certain as they get. Archaeological ruins, naturally occurring springs, terrain topography and, well, the actual Sea of Galilee, make historians and religious sects about as certain as they can be about Capernaum and the evidence that it was home to Jesus and several of his apostles.
Remnants of the city of Capernaum. The ultra modern Catholic church is said to be hovering over Peter's house, where Jesus healed Peter's mother-in-law. You can barely see the Sea of Galilee in the distance.
Capernaum was a small fishing village located on the northwest corner of the Sea of Galilee. It was occupied from about 2nd century BC until 11th century AD. Jesus fled to Capernaum after he was rejected in his hometown of Nazareth. You know, after preaching in the Synagogue there and informing them that he had been sent by God to fulfill the Old Testament prophecies, his neighbors just said "Isn't this Joseph's son?" To which he responded "...no prophet is accepted in the prophet's hometown..." after which they got mad and attempted to hurl him off a cliff, from which Jesus walked away, apparently straight to Capernaum, about 30 miles away, and settled in that quaint seaside village where people listened to him when he preached. In that quaint village he recruited Matthew, James, John, Andrew and Peter to be his disciples. Matthew was a tax collector, as the village was located on an agricultural trade route and Matthew took advantage of that traffic. James, John, Andrew and Peter were fishermen. Not only did Jesus find many followers here, he performed many miracles in Capernaum. He remotely healed a Roman centurion's son (Matt. 8: 5), healed a paralyzed boy (Matt. 9: 6), healed the bleeding woman (Matt 9:19), brought the rabbi's daughter back to life (Matt 9: 25), healed blind men (Matt. 9:29) and cast out a demon (Matt 9:32). And that was just as he was walking around town. It reads like a superhero movie. Bing bing!! Bing bing! Flashing healing powers to those at his feet and those not even anywhere near him. Just a thought from Jesus, and a child was healed 30 miles away. From there he traveled to many cities, discovering so many people in need, and healing them. This is where he said "The harvest is great, but the workers are few." Capernaum is also home to one of the largest synagogues. It was in this synagogue that, unlike that synagogue in Nazareth, Jesus was taken seriously. The congregation was surprised at his sermon because he spoke as an authority, and didn't try to prove his points by quoting others - quite unlike what they were used to hearing. Mark 1:22
Left: The black stone foundation could be the ruins of the synagogue in which Jesus taught. The white limestone ruins are likely from a 4th century synagogue built over it. It's one of the largest in Israel.
We stood at the steps of this synagogue, where Jesus taught and preached, and where he performed miracles like he was throwing Mardi Gras beads.
Right: Mom, taking a picture of the step where Jesus may have stepped.
There was a black basalt step, peeking out from under the white limestone steps. It is thought, Shafiq said, that Jesus could have used that step when entering the synagogue. We stopped to take a picture of it. I stepped on it.
It was from that step that Jesus and his disciples went to Peter's house after Synagogue one day. I bet they were hoping Peter's people had some good fish stew on the fire. Aren't we always hungry after church?
The round stone structure is thought to be Peter's house. The steel girders above actually support the church that marks that spot. If you go inside the church, there's a glass floor, so that you can look directly down into the house. The churchwas not open the day we were there.
In three Gospels, Matthew, Mark and Luke, the story of what happened next is told. They all three time it a bit differently, but they agree that Jesus and his disciples walk the short distance from the synagogue to Peter's house, where his mother-in-law lay very sick with a high fever.
Luke says: Then He (Jesus) stood over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her. Immediately she got up and began to serve them.
Mark says: He (Jesus) came and took her by the hand and lifted her up. Then the fever left her, and she began to serve them.
Matthew says: He (Jesus) touched her hand, and the fever left her, and she got up and began to serve him.
Those are New Revised Standard Versions. In the Living Bible, serve is interpreted as prepared dinner for him/them.
You may know where I'm going with this. I'm all for miracles and healing, but isn't that just like a woman to get up off her sick bed and start dinner? I'm sure she was glad she was feeling better, but couldn't they go down to the shore and get something To Go from a vendor? I didn't ask our guide about this, but just next door, which I'll talk about later, is another Catholic church built on top of the rock they believe Jesus to have had breakfast on with the disciples after he was risen from the dead. So don't tell me they weren't cooking some fish down there by the seashore.
And, you may also know that I do love preparing dinner, and would rather fix dinner than go out to eat, but can't a girl get a break??
Jesus did say the workers are few.
I work hard to be a servant, to the church, to my family, to my business. To do it joyfully, to the glory of God, for the enrichment of the church, my family and my business. Every once in a while I do a self check to see why I'm really doing it. Am I doing it because someone is hungry, or needs a cake, or because my ego needs to be fed by the thanks of providing and working and serving others. I think I'm working and serving because it's what I'm called to do. But I can't really make that determination, because who sees themselves clearly? We all have on rose colored glasses when it comes to looking at ourselves.
But for judging and critiquing others, I have 20/20 vision. Don't we all? I have found myself as of late stuck in a repeating tape of criticizing a group of people who were supposed to be servants of the church, and who have hurt me through what I identify (in my perfect vision) as very un-servant-like behavior. Do they even know I'm hurt, and that I'm sitting on my balcony watching the orange sun rise, spewing anger and criticism about them, rehearsing all the things I could say to put them in their well deserved place?
Probably not. As I always tell Michael and the kids, don't flatter yourself to think that someone else is sitting around regretting how they hurt you. They, just like me, are probably looking at themselves with rose-colored glasses on, too.
The workers are few. So Jesus ran around Capernaum with his trusted disciples, and healed who he could and preached at who would listen. Later, people who are also supposed to be leaders in the synagogue, will hurt him for that. I guess I should be glad that it's just my feelings that are hurt, and not my hands and feet as they're nailed to a tree.
Don't we all live in a little Capernaum, where there's teaching and preaching and work and dinner among the healthy and the ill? In a small village it's difficult to ignore the sick, and be unaware of the hurt. But since the workers are few, I just better get busy.
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