Where It All Took Place (or Most of It)


Today was our day on and around the Sea of Galilee.  First, breakfast.  Breakfast at the Scots Hotel was a hit with the team.  A starting devotional by Pastor Ken lasted 5 seconds and was on the topic of gluttony.  I said “Amen” and we continued.  At Nof Ginosar we heard the amazing account of two brothers finding a boat in the mud that was dated to the first century.  Could it have belonged to Peter and Andrew or to James and John?  We will never know.  We do know that it gives a perfect illustration of what their boats were like.  This owner used 13 different kinds of wood in the construction and maintenance of his boat.  Then we took our ride.  Despite the cloudy conditions, our experience drew us into a glimpse of the ministry of Jesus.  Before us lay the Mt. of Beatitudes.  Capernaum was to our north.  Tabgha, where Jesus made breakfast for His disciples after His resurrection was over.

We pictured Him playfully walking on water during a storm, ready to pass by the struggling disciples when they caught a glimpse of Him.  Peter asks to come to Him if He is real.  Jesus invites, and Peter sinks after a couple steps because he turned his eyes off Jesus.  We read, sang, reflected.

The Mt. Of Beatitudes was next.  A crowd and some rain shortened our visit slightly, but we still had time to reflect on Matthew 5 where Jesus says that we address evil people by graciously going above and beyond with them in hopes that they will see the condition of their heart.  Turn the cheek; give the clothes; carry the pack beyond the forced limit.  Loving them will shock them and show them Jesus.

A St. Peter fish lunch (or chicken for the faint hearted or those who just do not like fish) was followed with a visit to nearby Magadala.  This was the hometown of Mary Magdalene.  Wow.  This first century synagogue was definitely a place Jesus visited.  Perhaps He even taught here.  This gave us our second chance at a group photo.  We saw our first Mikva here.  That is a Jewish ritual bath and this town, dedicated to the fishing industry, had several.  

The rain kept us from visiting Capernaum today, so we made our way around the lake to the Byzantine church at Kursi.  This is the place it is believed that Jesus cast Legion (a bunch of demons) out of the man who roamed the tombs into the pigs and the pigs went into the lake.  

Our final stop led us to a kibbutz where they sell date honey and spices for cooking.  It was a fun place to visit and purchase some cooking supplies and gifts.  

Tomorrow, we will catch Capernaum before or at the end of our day on the Golan Heights.

Here are some scenes from our day.




















Comments

  1. Lin Aluise HabermanMarch 21, 2019 at 12:55 PM

    Just so amazing....thank you for sharing this. I amtraveling with you and praying.

    ReplyDelete

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