Galilee and the Jordan River – Wed. May 21, 2008

What a great day this is going to be. We’ll be in the evangelical triangle of Bethsaida, Korazim and Capernaum as the points in the triangle. We won’t visit Bethsaida because there’s nothing to see, but I have my own moment reflecting on the name Bethesda, my father’s childhood home near Stouffville, Ontario, Canada.

About 70% of Jesus’ ministry was done in this area, so we’re going to get a ton of teaching and Scripture today.

Our first visit is to the town of Korazim at the north end of the Sea of Galilee. After Jesus taught here, Korazim did not turn from its wickedness and was condemned by him. But Jesus would have been in the synagogue and sat in the chair of Moses. The teacher, or rabbi, would sit down when he was about to make an important point. Naturally, I had to sit in that chair – it’s made of stone and has lasted the age. So I sat where Jesus sat!

In Jesus’ teaching at Korazim, he was critical of the oral tradition which was the accepted way of teaching in Jesus’ time. Jesus wanted emphasis on the written Torah. So when Jesus spoke against “the law”, it was the oral tradition he was referring to. Rabbinic traditions were oral and some of these were not in agreement with the Law of Moses. Glen had a baseball analogy to describe this – they had all the bases covered, but there were maggots under home plate

Next, we went to the Church of the Beatitudes, a beautiful Catholic Church done in an octagon – one for every Beatitude. Matthew 5:1-12 is the Scripture where Jesus taught the Beatitudes near this very place. In a time of prayer and reflection, I remembered my Mother when she was hospitalized with a heart attack, reciting the Beatitudes on the hospital gurney. The Eucharist was celebrated by Kim in a beautiful place by the Church.

As we left, the Church of the Beatitides, the parking lot was jammed with buses – the tourism industry in Israel is doing just fine.

As we leave the area, we view a ‘Y’ shaped valley, celebrated as the spot where Jesus preached the Sermon on the Mount: Matthew 5:13 -7:27. Sound tests done recently, indicate that as many as 20,000 could have seen and heard Jesus’ Sermon.

We arrive in Capernaum, the home of Simon Peter and the town which Jesus made his headquarters. There are numerous Bible passages attributed to this place: Matthew 4:13 Matthew 8:5-17;11:23, 17:24; Mark 1:21, 2:1, 9:33;Luke 4:23, 31, 7:1; John 2:12, 4:46, 6:17, 24,6:59. What a joy it will be to read all of these passages when I’m back in Toronto.

At Capernaum, we walk to the Church of the Primacy of St. Peter and Tom our tour leader gives a homily based on John 21. Peter’s had a rough time and Jesus picks him up and gives him a job: “Take care of my sheep”. We’re left to ponder the question “What job does Jesus have for me?”

Glen’s readings about the faith of the centurion are a model for all of us. The centurion had not met Jesus, but had faith nonetheless and Jesus acknowledges him for this. The story of Thomas is contrasted against this.

Now it’s off to the River Jordan, the river which John the Baptist baptized many, including Jesus, so this river has a powerful place in Christian belief. We gather in an area reserved for us with steps going into the Jordan and Glen reads Matthew 3. Duke’s knee deep, playing his guitar. I went in up to my knees and Glen offered a prayer of repentance as water from the Jordan was poured into my cupped hands. Later, others had their baptisms rededicated, some with total immersion. There was a lot of joy and peace as we made our way from the water.