ALONG THE SHORES OF GALILEE
The picture
on the front of the bulletin is one I took last summer on the northern shore of
the Sea of Galilee looking south. If the Sea
of Galilee were the face of the clock, this would be taken from
about eleven o’clock, and the gap
that you see in the mountains would be at about eight
o’clock. The gap is where the main highway leaves the lakeshore and
heads westward toward Nazareth,
Medigo and the
Mediterranean coastline. Between that notch and the place where I was standing
to take this picture, most of Jesus’ ministry took place. Not a very big area,
is it.
This is the Sea where he calmed the water, this is the place
where he fed the 5,000, this is the place where he preached the sermon on the
mount, and this is the place where he preached in the synagogue. This is the region
to which Jesus moved when he left his childhood home of Nazareth.
JESUS MOVED TO CAPERNAUM
So why did Jesus move here from Nazareth? Kids who head off to college know
part of the reason: “Prophets are not without honor, except in their own
country and in their own house.” (Matthew 13:57)
But there were other reasons too. The execution of John the
Baptist by the Tetrarch Herod Antipas (the Fox) was a much more powerful reason
to leave the heartland and to go to the periphery. John the Baptist was
executed for denouncing Herod Antipas for marrying his brother’s ex-wife.
Jesus, who was baptized by John, feared that he might be the next to pay for
challenging the authorities, and fled east to the Sea
of Galilee .
THE EVANGELICAL TRIANGLE
Three cities on the Sea of Galilee
form what is called “the evangelical triangle.” We have a brief scripture about
each of them in the lessons for today. They are: Capernaum,
Bethsaida and Korazin. The works
that Jesus preformed in the evangelical triangle laid the foundation of his
ministry. What he did first and what last, where he went first, and where next,
we will never know. But we may be able to find out how these places may have
looked, and I think they represent cities that each of has visited in our own
lives.
CAPERNAUM
During his years of ministry, Jesus made his home among the
Jewish fishermen in Capernaum.
Capernaum was on the main highway;
it was a regional government center, it had military guards, it had a synagogue
that was a religious and educational center, it had a trade industry and a
fishing industry, and a number of homes built of rock along the water’s edge.
Peter’s mother’s home has been identified here, and it has been persevered as a
place Jesus stayed when Peter’s mother was ill. It was in Capernaum
that the disciples learned that Jesus would be rejected, betrayed, and would
suffer. And it was here that the disciples asked which of them would be the
greatest. It was the wrong question. But Jesus answered with one of his
greatest challenges: “If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last,
and the servant of all.” And he took a little Capernaum
child, and lifted him up and challenged them to have the humility of this child
in serving God. Capernaum was the
home that Jesus chose.
BETHSAIDA
Bethsaida
was the largest of the three cities and was unearthed a few miles up the road
near the entry of one of the three freshwater streams that flow into the Sea
of Galilee. This was good fishing. And this is the place where
Jesus called at least four of his disciples and said he would make them fishers
of humans, not catfish.
Bethsaida
was under the jurisdiction of Philip Herod the brother of Herod Antipas.
According to the testimony of Josephus, Philip Herod was different from his
brother and much more beloved by his subjects. In case of adversity, Jesus
could find refuge at Bethsaida, and
it seems that he made quite good use of this possibility. Bethsaida
became prosperous and eventually its name was changed to Julia to honor the
daughter of Caesar.
A few
houses, typical of rural courtyard houses, have been excavated thus far. When I
walked among them, I found kitchens, open-air courtyards, a wine cellar, and
shops along the main street that were being restored. In areas such as Galilee
where most of the year the skies are blue and cloudless, a big part of family
life took place in the courtyard. It was the place where the family would
convene for activities such as work, fixing and mending fishing gear,
processing and preparing all kinds of food and meeting with friends and family
to discuss various issues of concern: political, religious and economic.
Bethsaida
was the place Jesus went to. He drew disciples from its citizens, he did some
business there, he preached nearby, and he brought calm to the fishing waters
near the estuaries. It’s like places that we go to for business, or to see
friends, or to seek recreation. There is an international bird flyway overhead,
and feeding ponds, and sanctuaries around it. Where do you go for business or
recreation, and why do you go there? How is the culture of the places you visit
different from the place in which you live?
KORAZIN
Unlike Capernaum
and Bethsaida, Korazin is not
located near the seashore. It is an hour’s walk uphill from the lake toward the
slopes that descend to the Sea of Galilee from the
basalt plateau known today as the Korazin Plateau. It is hotter on the
hillside, and the rock looked to me like volcanic rock. Not much grows there,
and the search for water must have been constant. Maybe it was a bedroom
community, or a backroom community that people visited for secret reasons.
The
inhabitants probably also gleaned a living serving passengers and itinerant
merchants on the roads leading from the Mediterranean coast to the Golan
Heights. Unlike Capernaum
and Bethsaida, first century
Korazin was never excavated. The city walls of the ancient town were still seen
and make it look like a fortified village. Why did it need to be forted?
Centuries after Jesus, very little was done to improve their
standard of living. New settlers came to Bethsaida
and to other places in Galilee and developed merchandise
such as wine, olive oil, linen and dried fresh-water fish. Jesus cursed
Korazin, and said that the people had been reluctant to believe. Maybe they
didn’t want to change their ways; maybe they had something to hide.
A CURSED CITY
I wonder if there is any city that Jesus would curse today.
There are probably some people in Lynchburg,
Virginia that would curse a city near us,
but we might feel the same way about them. It’s not the city, of course, once
again it is the culture. It is what is permitted, and what people fear. Today I fear excessive regulation more than
excessive freedom. The cities that I avoid are places where one culture is
lifted up, while another culture is put down. What cities would you avoid? What
cultures frighten you? What is the edge of your toleration? I can think of some
zip codes that fit in that category.
THE THEATER IN WHICH JESUS TAUGHT
Jesus
taught and healed the sick and preached to his audience and disciples about the
Kingdom of Heaven
in all three of these cities. He told his poor and humble fishermen that
success and wealth in this world do not mean the same thing in the next life.
He explained that there is reward in righteous living and that if it does not
come in this world, it will surely come in the Kingdom
of Heaven.
In another
episode a Roman military commander (a centurion), who dwelt in the village,
approached him. The centurion asked him to heal a boy who was lying sick at his
home. The centurion knew that Jesus would not go to his home to heal the child
because a Halakhah (Jewish law), decreed by the Rabbis, forbade Jews to enter
gentiles’ homes. Jesus was thrilled by the centurion’s faith because he did not
find such faith among his Jewish fellowmen.
“Go home,”
he said, “and the boy will be healed.”
Jesus drew his disciples from these cities. (Simon-Petrus, the fisherman, and his brother
Andrew were from Bethsaida.
Jesus told them to stop being fishers of fish and become fishers of men.
Philip, another disciple, was from Bethsaida
as well. Two more fishermen, James and John, the sons of Zebedee, the wealthy
fisherman who hired workers to fish for him, probably also came from this
town.) In addition to healing individuals, Jesus performed miracles to the
multitude. On a plain not far from Bethsaida, he was followed by a crowd of
5,000 people and when there was nothing for the crowd to eat, Jesus managed to
feed the crowd with just two fish and five loaves of bread. (This is
traditionally referred to as the Miracle of the Mul-tiplication of Loaves and
Fishes. – Matthew
14:13-21)
THREE CITIES
So Capernaum was the city where Jesus lived.
Bethsaida was a city to which Jesus traveled.
Korazin was a city Jesus told people to avoid.
Together they provide us with a definition of culture that we
can translate into our own experience. So what would you say to me if I asked
you…
·
Where are you from?
·
Where are you going?
·
What do you avoid?
CULTURE
Cultures
are what make countries unique. Not everyone agrees on the meaning or
definition of culture. To some, it means the outlook or opinion of an entire
society that can be reflected in their language, literature, religion, music,
dress, cooking, etc. Some societies are culturally very rich. Culture can also
vary within a region, society or sub-group. For example, a workplace may have a
specific culture that sets it apart from similar workplaces. A family may have
a specific set of values, morals or beliefs that differ from other families of
the same ethnic background.
Culture is more than just
material goods -- that is the things the culture uses and produces. Culture is
also the beliefs and values of the people in that culture.
BORN
So the culture into which you were born does not have to be the culture
in which you make your home. That is a freedom we cherish.
GOING
Where you are going defines your goals;
the life, the family, the friends that you would select for yourself. What
would you like to do on a free day? What makes you happy? What nourishes your
soul. Where does your business
take you.
We always
have choices. Even doing nothing is a choice, and if we choose to do nothing
about the way in which we live, then that is still the choice we have to live
with.
AVOIDING
And what city do you avoid? We are not at
home in every culture. But Jesus didn’t let it go at that.
·
Do you avoid places that are
unhealthy? Food? Habits that are unhealthy?
·
Do you avoid people who take you
in directions that you should not go.
·
Do you avoid people who disagree
with you – not a good idea.
·
Do you avoid crowds, or seek them
out?
Jesus said, "You have heard that it
was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I say to you,
love your enemies,
bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who
spitefully use you and persecute you." - Matthew 5:43-44 nkjv
HOW CAN YOU LOVE SOMEONE
WHO IS DIFFERENT THAN YOU ARE?
The first step is to
recognize that all people are created in God's image. God values every person. It’s just that we come from
different cities. But that doesn’t make us enemies.
Then try to understand why this person is an enemy. Perhaps he or she
is being malicious, or simply misdirected.
Could it be you did something to cause hurt? Seek to know what drives the wedge between you. If it is within your power, do all you can to remove that
wedge.
Look for common ground. Enemies are usually formed out of a
disagreement in one particular area of life. Put aside that issue for a moment and look for things you
can agree on. Focus on these areas
in your relationship.
Consider distancing yourself. If there is no reason to be in a relationship with this person, stay away from
situations that could be
troublesome. Love from a distance is easier than love in the middle of confrontation.
Pray for this person and for wisdom to know how to relate
to him or her. Only with a measure of God's love is it possible to love your
enemies. God's love can look beyond the hurtful actions and into the
possibilities of the heart. It can fill in the gaps in your own ability to love.
I HAVE BEEN TO
THREE CITIES,
AND SO HAVE YOU.
The city in which you make your home.
The city where you go for business or
leisure.
And the city you must avoid, but must not
hate.
And we can
learn something from each one of them.
·
No
culture can live if it attempts to be exclusive.
(Gandhi)
·
People
who know nothing of foreign cultures, know nothing of their own. (Goethe, adapted)
·
I do not
want my house to be walled in on all sides, and my windows to be stuffed. I
want the cultures of all lands to be blown about my house as freely as
possible. But I refuse to be blown off my feet by any. (Gandhi)
·
Why is it
that one culture is more comfortable seeing two men holding guns than holding
hands?
(Ernest Gaines)
·
Life is
plurality, death is uniformity.
·
If we are
to achieve a richer culture, rich in contrasting values, we must recognize the
whole gamut of human potentialities, and so weave a less arbitrary social
fabric, one in which each diverse gift will find a fitting place. (Margaret Mead)
Dr. John H. Cushman
Presbyterian Church of the Roses
2500 Patio Court
Santa Rosa, CA 95405
September
17, 2006
