Capernaum on the Sea of Galilee

In considering the many examples of Peter and the others fishing on the Sea of Galilee, we were reminded that the reason Peter sank after trying to walk in the water toward Jesus, was that HE TOOK HIS EYES OFF JESUS, AND GOT DISTRACTED! A lesson for all of us.


We visited the town of Capernaum after disembarking. It is one of the more than fifteen towns on the shores of the Sea of Galilee. Capernaum is the town where Jesus made His home. "And leaving Nazareth he came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is upon the sea coast, in the borders of Zabulon and Nephthalim." (Matthew 4:13) This is where Peter, Andrew, James, John, and Matthew (all fishermen) became His Apostles. Many of His miracles were performed in this town: casting out of spirits, bringing a dead child back to life, healing Peter's mother-in-law, curing the Centurion's servant.


People thronged to hear him speak here, but they did not always believe. Jesus cursed them at one point. "If the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Sodom, it would have remained to this day. But I tell you that it will be more bearable for Sodom on the day of judgment than for you." (Matthew 11:23-24) Arabs destroyed the city in the 7th century.


Galilee was at one time devoid of Jews; the Assyrians had moved in aliens and deported the Jews after conquering the territory. But around the 2nd century BC, Jews came back. Galilee is an area of 1600 square miles. In the towns we passed, laundry was hanging out at most of the buildings. Evidently the people possessed no dryers! In all of the places we visited on the shores of Galilee, pilgrims burst out in spontaneous song-- sometimes in different languages, but the same melody!


The Golan Heights are visible from here -- these black basalt mountains were made by volcanic eruptions, and they are different from the mountains in Israel. The area was called Decapolis in Jesus' time, and it is where Jesus cast out the demons into the swine. Strange that people in this area were raising pork!