Galilee Day 3

Tina Huber

Refleciton day 12

Galilee 3

January 18, 2012

I really enjoyed today. We are focusing much more on the life of Jesus and the apostles. This is what I have been looking forward to the most. Deeper insights to my Saviour. We started our day with a trip to a hillside. It was a city called Gergesa. As we sat on the hill that looked out to the Sea of Galilee we discussed the scripture of Jesus calming the storm. I’ve always wondered what kind of storm would freak out a fisherman? Apparently this sea can whip up 8ft waves! Their tiny fishing boat would have been no match. Their boat ended up where we sat today. A man who was demon possessed came to Jesus for healing. I never have thought much about the man’s perspective in this story but at the end of the verse it says that he wanted to go with them but Jesus said he had to stay behind. Why would Jesus do that? A few thoughts were offered. One, Jesus told him to tell everyone the good things that God has done. From the text and this location we can assume that this man was a gentile. There is a group of pigs that end up in the sea. There are not many pig farms in a Jewish settlement. Jesus wanted this man be a witness to the gentiles. To stay behind and tell them of God’s faithfulness. He was laying the ground work for the apostles who later had great success in this area. Second, why would this man want to leave his hometown after being healed? Someone obviously has helped care for him since he was put into chains during his times of madness. I’m sure it wouldn’t be easy to try and fit back into that community. Maybe this man wanted to just start a new life and get away? Or maybe he wasn’t convinced that he was truley healed and wanted to stay with Jesus in case it came back? What a lesson here. I can see so many parrellels to our current journy of faith. How many of us want to just sit along side Jesus instead of getting out there and doing the hard work of mending relationships and living a life that will make us say to others, “look what good things God has done!” How many of us make Jesus heal us over and over for the same thing? I had two cups of coffee so my mind was racing with all kinds of thoughts. How many different applications one little lesson can have. Our next stop was at Qasrin. The purpose of stopping here was to see a reconstructed first century home. A home like what Jesus would have stayed at or lived in. We sat in the home and retold the story of the paralytic coming in through the roof. The house was full from all of us who are taking this class. I can just imagine sitting there listening to Jesus teaching and have roof debri start falling down! I would have been saying ‘what the heck!? Walking through Israel the past couple of weeks there has been one constant. Rocks. These homes would have all been made of stone. The tools are made of stone, the streets are made of stone, everything is stone. You get the picture. So I now picture Jesus as a stone mason instead of a carpenter. He most likely built homes which would require a great deal of strength and a mind for mathematics. I love this image. He was strong, smart, and wise. It was also suggested that He probably was the one who patched up the roof after the paralytic took up his mat and left. Our next stop was Chorazim. I had never heard of it but in Luke 10 Jesus ‘woes’ this city. Jesus had obviously did some signs and wonders and the people didn’t repent. We sat in the synagogue that was still largely intact. Jesus was faithful at going to the synagogue every Sabboth. Paul seemed to model this too. Take the word to God’s people first and then to the gentiles. God was being faithful to his word even when he knew his people wouldn’t respond. I love being reminded of this. We can trust God. He is truth! He is faithful.