GALILEE

May 29, 2012

The air was hot, heavy and motionless this morning as we boarded our boat to cross the Sea of Galilee. It was only 7 AM but it was already 85 degrees. A humid mist hung over the lake and there was a quiet stillness on the water as our boat sailed toward the western shore of the famous Lake Gennesaret or Sea of Tiberias: two other familiar names for this well known body of water.

Could this be the same sea that terrorized the disciples with it’s tumultuous waters and threatened to overturn their boat? Where was that wind that only Jesus could calm with a simple command? Today the water was like glass…. a welcome relief for several members of our group who were anticipating a dreaded bout of seasickness.

When we reached the middle of the sea our boat captain cut the engines and we floated in silence for a short while remembering the time when Jesus was here with His disciples. We thought about Jesus calling Peter to step out of the boat and walk toward Him on the water. We remembered the time when Jesus sent His disciples ahead of Him across the Sea and then walked out upon the stormy waters toward them after a violent storm arose and threatened to tear their boat apart. With just a simple phrase the One, who was active and present in the creation of the world, calmed the seas and stepped into their boat. It was truly amazing to experience the very waters where Jesus revealed Himself as Creator, Comforter and Son of God.

When we reached the opposite shore we viewed an exhibit of an ancient fishing boat that was dated to the early first century.  During one unusual year of drought, the boat was discovered in the muddy banks of the water where it was carefully exhumed and restored. It’s wonderful to see a genuine artifact from the days of the early gospels.

Along the western slopes of the Sea of Galilee many Byzantine era churches mark the traditional sites of Jesus’ ministry. Certainly, this is the area where Jesus spent most of his adult life and every landscape has some connection with His life, miracles and teaching. Unfortunately for us, the weather was oppressively hot and humid. The air was so stagnant it diminished some of the “thrill” of our sightseeing adventures today. The temperature was in the high 90’s, but with the humidity and lack of wind the news reported that it actually felt like 107 degrees!

On the Mount of the Beatitudes a beautiful garden setting surrounds a quaint chapel that commemorates the teaching of Jesus in Matthew 5.

Down the road in Tabgha, a Benedictine Monastery remembers the miraculous multiplication of the loaves and the fishes (Matthew 16).

The ancient city of Capernaum was especially interesting as it contains the ruins of the actual town where Peter lived and Jesus spent much of His time. We sat by the shores of the Sea and read the gospel of Mark 1:16-20

¹⁶ As Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. ¹⁷ “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men.” ¹⁸ At once they left their nets and followed him.

¹⁹ When he had gone a little farther, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John in a boat, preparing their nets. ²⁰ Without delay he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men and followed him.

As I sat by the shores of the Sea and listened to this familiar retelling of a well-known gospel story, the events suddenly seemed so natural within the context of the environment. Capernaum is a fishing village located on the shores of Galilee. Peter’s home was just a few yards from the shore where the fishermen docked their boats and cast their nets into the lake. Given this perspective, what could be more natural than for Jesus to call out to these fine men and invite them to know Him and join Him in His ministry to the world? Truly, this land is like reading a 5^th gospel that brings a depth of reality and normality to events that previously appeared foreign or awkward across the continuum of time and space.

In Chorizin we found some welcome shade for lunch and enjoyed a time of exploration through the ruins of a synagogue that boasted an ancient “Moses” seat as well as a fine example of an Olive press. Our final exploration for the day was a visit to the old fisherman’s city of Bethsaida where the crowds once followed Jesus in search of healing.

When we returned to our beautiful Kibbutz for the evening we were greeted with a special surprise…the waves on the Sea were churning tumultuously!

Without warning, the breeze from the Mediterranean Sea blew inland through the valleys of the lower Galilee region and turned our calm morning waters into an agitated surf. At Last! THIS is the Sea we read about in scripture! How Great is Our God to have given us calm morning waters to travel upon, for surely we would have been frightened and sea sick if we were on the water this evening.

And finally, as if to put His crowning insignia upon the day, the Creator of the Universe displayed His creative glory in a stunning sunset. Breathtaking! Some experiences simply defy words!