We began the day with a trip to Capernaum, where Jesus often stayed at Peter’s house. A church has been built over what was once Peter’s house, but you can still see the remains of what were once many rooms. This was also the town where Jesus healed the servant of the Roman Centurion. Our guide then threw in an extra tour that was not scheduled so that we could see the remains of yet another ancient city. What set this city apart was that in the synagogue they had actually found the seat of Moses, from which the Rabbi would have preached. Following this we went to the mountain where Jesus taught the Sermon on the Mount, and fed the five thousand. At each stop, our guide or pastor leader reads a portion of scripture related to the sight and we consider Jesus’ words and meaning during his ministry.
We had a quick, boxed lunch at the next location, which was Caesarea Philippi, before heading down a path for a short hike. Caesarea Philippi is where Peter confessed Jesus as the Christ, or Messiah. Our last hike of the day was at Dan. At each stop, we see more ruins from thousands of years ago and it is exciting to imagine Jesus and the apostles walking from place to place, preaching and healing. Our last stop was at a museum that houses a 2000 year-old boat that was found in the Sea of Galilee. It was quite a find and took enormous effort to bring it up. We weren’t able to sail on that boat, of course, but we did take a 1-hour ride across the Sea of Galilee before ending the day with a swim in the lake, dinner, and a stroll through the streets before bed.
Visiting all of these places is amazing, and I’m loving it, but I think the biggest impact on me has been the lack of awe I’ve experienced. Of course it’s incredible to stand where Jesus may have stood, but my connection to Jesus and His followers is not in standing where they stood, but in knowing, serving, and loving who they knew, served, and loved. Dan read from Romans 12 the other day and emphasized the part about being surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses. But I am not connected to people like Elijah and Peter by the physical ground we’ve walked on as much as the spiritual journey to follow God that we’ve chosen.
5 comments:
I think that's an important insight you've discovered. Was the lake as cold as any in Aussi? Sea of Galalei..pretty cool
A striking observation --of what really ties us together. I think I'm surprised by how much fun it is for me to see all this through your and Becca's eyes. Keep it coming!
I love the thought of meeting those famous figures in Heavan and yet also agree that in the end they were just people and that our relationship with Jesus is the only meaningful connection that matters :-)
Wow...from a purely historical perspective this is amazing! So much history to learn...it helps me to see pictures of what the bible is talking about! I loved the fact that you shared such a great insight!
How do they know it's Peter's house?
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