As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men.” At once they left their nets and followed him.
Matthew 4:18-20
Our fourth and last day in the Galilee began with a boat ride on the Sea of Galilee. Our day would focus on sites around the lake. Jesus and his disciples traversed this lake extensively.
We stopped at the Jordan River about a mile north of where it empties into the Sea of Galilee. Some stepped in while others jumped in. A group of rafters went by while we were there.
Bethsaida, Capernaum, and Chorazin are considered the main triangle of cities that Jesus visited most often. Our next stop was Chorazin, a city built of black basalt lying a few miles north of the Sea of Galilee. Much of what is visible is from a few centuries after Jesus, but it still gives a good sense of what the town was like. Ancient houses are visible, strewn across the site. A synagogue is also visible.
Capernaum, next on the list, was the center of Jesus’ ministry. Like Chorazin, homes and a synagogue are visible. One ancient home has the remains of a church built over it. It’s thought that people remembered this house as where Jesus stayed. A modern church is built over it, suspended above so as to not disturb the ancient ruins. The synagogue is also visible there. Although it is from a few centuries after Jesus, it is constructed on top of the foundation from Jesus’ time. Capernaum was one of the largest ports on the Sea of Galilee.
Our last stop was at Tabgha, which remembers some other events in Jesus’ life. The first is the feeding of the 5000 by dividing the loaves and fish (Matthew 14:13-21). The other is the reinstatement of Peter. After Jesus was arrested, Peter trailed behind to where he was taken. While Peter was waiting outside by the fire, three different people recognized him as a follower of Jesus and each time he denied it. In John 21 Jesus (after his resurrection) met with Peter and a few other disciples. At the end Jesus took Peter aside and reinstated him. No matter how badly we’ve messed up, we can take comfort in the forgiveness the Lord offers if we will repent and turn back to him.
It had been a long, fun weekend. As the sun set, we drove back south to JUC. I will need to get back to this region. As much as we did, I became more aware of what else there is to see and do.