Capernaum
In Scripture, the Messiah is called "Immanuel," or "God with us" (Isa. 7:14;
Matt. 1:23). Immanuel came to live in Capernaum on the
Sea of Galilee. Back in
those days when one went to the shuk (open market) to buy grapes, he might just
happen to see Jesus also buying grapes. Imagine the King of the Universe buying
grapes and living as a man! One might also chance to see him work a mighty
miracle of healing for someone in the shuk. Apparently, many of those onlookers
saw such miracles, shrugged their shoulders, clutched their own grapes and
walked away unchanged.
Because of their attitudes, Jesus cursed the city of Capernaum with these words:
"And you, Capernaum, will you be lifted up to the skies? No, you will go down to
the depths. 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." (Matt. 11:23-24).
We learn a very important lesson here. Revelation demands responsibility. As the
scripture says, "From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded;
and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked"
(Luke 12:48). We will give an account for every ounce of revelation we have ever
received. It is probably for this reason that teachers will be judged more
severely than others (Jas. 3:1).
Jesus, the Son of God, came to live in Capernaum, and it brought great judgment
upon that unresponsive city. Conversely, it brought great salvation for those
who heard and heeded his message.
Capernaum illustrates for us that we live on a visited planet. He who is called
"Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace" (Isa.
9:6), came to live with us for a short season at Capernaum. He was a bright and
shining light in a dark place.
As long as days come and go, breezes will refresh the ancient places along the shores of fertile Galilee and the ruins of old Capernaum, the city Jesus knew so well. Matthew 4:13, "And leaving Nazareth, He came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is by the sea, in the regions of Zebulun and Naphtali." In the Bible this deep, freshwater, pear shaped lake was known by several other names as well: Lake Kinneret, Lake Gennesaret, and the Sea of Tiberias. A very unusual feature of Galilee is that it is 686 feet below the level of the Mediterranean Sea. Though not huge it is of respectable size in that it measures 13 miles from north to south and 7 miles from east to west with a total of 64 square miles of surface area. The Jordan River flows into Galilee from Syria and continues south from Galilee and is the main source of fresh water for the entire region. Bountiful farming and fishing have been the main reward for living in this very uncharacteristic area of the Middle East.
Since Capernaum
lay on the political border separating Herod Antipas' of Galilee from Gaulanitis,
ruled by his brother Philip, it was the location of a customs house. There was
also a small military garrison, quartered to the east of the Jewish town, under
the command of a centurion probably one of Herod Antipas’ mercenaries.
The town proper, whose existence is from the Early Roman Period, lies in a very
fertile area and it was a busy place. Located on the highway from the
Mediterranean coast to Damascus, the Via Maris, merchants would bring silk and
spices from Damascus and take back the dried fish and fruits of the plains of
Gennessaret. Despite its relative prosperity (augmented by local fishing in the
Sea of Galilee), the town was evidently quite small but large enough for a small
synagogue. Its population was likely no more than 1000 to 1500 people. The town,
in Jesus' day a
poor fishing village, extended along the actual lake shore only for a
distance of about 1600 feet. Apparently the Jewish inhabitants could not afford
their own synagogue and they praised the Gentile Centurion, who held the Jewish
people in high regard and seemingly sought to maintain good relations with the
local townspeople, for building it.
Paul attests to Peter still having a wife who was a follower of Jesus, who accompanied him on his travels. Presumably, Peter's mother-in-law also resided in the house with Peter and his brother Andrew.
Jesus performed many miracles here ( See chronology). From this town he chose his first four disciples (Peter, Andrew and the two sons of Zebedee, James and John) and later he chose the publican Matthew, also known as Levi, who became the author of the first Gospel, worked at the customs house.
The Centurion, commander of the military garrison in service to Herod Antipas, sought Jesus’ help in the healing of his servant. Jesus commends this Gentile officer for understanding that Jesus could heal from far off and his physical presence in a ceremonially unclean Gentile compound was not necessary. This kept Jesus from becoming ceremonially defiled according to the Mosaic Code.
Egeria, who visited the Holy Land including Capernaum in the latter part of
the 4th century, noted in her Journal that while the Christian focus was the
traditional "House of St. Peter" (which quite early had been converted into a
"house-church" that is, a domus ecclesia), the magnificent White Synagogue
served the needs of the town's traditional Jewish inhabitants.
The Byzantines erected an octagonal memorial church to place their mark on the
site.
Simon's house in Capernaum was Jesus' home during much of his public ministry.
Undoubtedly, Jesus loved it there. One of his first miracles was worked in the
little cluster of houses where Peter's family lived. He cured Simon's
mother-in-law of a high fever simply by his touch.
From then on, Simon's house became a place where people came whenever Jesus was there. Not only from the town itself but from places all along the lake and from the towns beyond, the blind, the deaf, the lame and paralyzed flocked to that house and they were made well. Soon, Capernaum was known throughout the land for something more important than its climate and the abundance of its crops: Jesus Christ was there.
For many reasons, Simon's house and the town itself made an almost ideal setting for the beginnings of Jesus' ministry
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