Of all the days I have spent here in Israel, today by far was my favorite. We visited many of the sites where Jesus did ministry around the Sea of Galilee. These places came alive from the vividness of Scripture connected to actually being at the site. My personal study into the life of Jesus particularly from Mark’s Gospel, was so real today. I am grateful for the year of study that I gave to walking through this Gospel.
Our first stop was at Kursi /Gergesa where a church had been erected memorializing the event of Mark 5:1-20, Jesus delivers the Demonic of a legion (6000) of demons. This is located on the east side of the Sea of Galilee just a few miles from the resort we have been staying at for the last three days. Just south of this church was erected there is the only steep embankment where the herd of pigs could have run down into the Sea of Galilee. Just a little ways further south, near ancient Hippo archeologists discovered ancient tombs. These tombs easily could have been the place where the demonic was living. This whole region is also called the Decapolis.
The ruin at biblical Chorazin was our next stop along our north east route around the Sea of Galilee. The ruins of this ancient city are referenced by Jesus in his curse upon what some call the Evangelical Triad and includes Chorazin, Capernaum, Bethsaida (Matt. 11:20-24; Luke 10:13-15). We were able to view a synagogue from the first century BC. Discovered in this synagogue was the place where the teacher would sit and preach his message to his audience. This place is called ‘the seat of Moses’. This would have been the type of seat that Jesus used whenever he taught in the synagogue. This is what he would have been teaching from in Mark 21-28, when he taught in the Capernaum synagogue and was interrupted by the demon possessed man. We were also able to see a covered miqvah from the same time period.
Our next spot to visit was a Church that was built to memorialize the place and event of the feeding of the five thousand. There isn’t any real consensus as to the exact location for this miracle of Jesus but it does give pilgrims and tourists a spot to at least commemorate this event. The spot selected was on the northwest side of the Sea of Galilee. After visiting the church, we took a walk down the hillside and stopped at a spot near a plowed field. In that location we had all types of soils that Jesus would have referred to when he taught the Parable of the Soils in Mark 4:1-25. A little farther down the hillside we stopped and talked about Jesus giving His disciples the Great Commission. Even though these are probably not the exact spots of these events it was good to be on the hillside of Galilee thinking through these biblical events and lessons from Jesus.
Capernaum was my favorite stop of the entire three weeks. My imagination took me back to the New Testament with numerous passages and stops in the old city. The demon possessed man in the synagogue of Mark 1:21-28 came to life when I was able to see the 1st century foundation of the synagogue. To think that this was the possible site of this event was moving. I was also moved by the ruins of the houses as I thought about the paralytic being lowered through the roof of the house in Mark 2:1-12 was incredibly visual. And to see the potential spot of Peter’s house and to image the events and discussions that took place with Jesus and His disciples. This stop was worth the trip for me.
Our final stop was really a moving stop with a boat ride across the Sea of Galilee from Tiberius to Ein Gev. The boat ride gave us a great view of both sides of the Sea as well as time to meditate on all that we saw and experience during the day.
My final thoughts of the day reflect back to Capernaum and the things that I felt and experienced while looking at the ruins. I have acquired much knowledge over the past two plus weeks. But I think I was challenged today to be more sensitive to God’s leading as Jesus was in everything that He did. I was also struck with a longing not just to know about Jesus but to really know Him more intimately. Jesus did not give His life by dying on the Cross so that I might possess eternal life. He died so that I might die to myself and live for Him. I long to have a more intimate daily filling of His Spirit so that I may please Him and enjoy Him. May I be covered in the dust of my Rabbi Jesus.
Picture One - The possible location of The Healing of the Demon at Gergesa where the pigs ran down the hill
Picture Two - Miqvah at Chorizim
Picture Three - Seat of Moses at Synagogue in Capernaum
Picture Four - Possibly Peter's House in Capernaum
Picture five - lower rocks show the 1st Century foundation of the Synagogue in Capernaum
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