By the Sea
Before going to Israel I was pretty ignorant about the land.
Oh I knew the Bible stories and about where they took place, but my journey
opened up a whole new perspective.
Our trip included visits from "Dan to Beersheba." I had read and heard that term, but now I can fully understand the meaning because of the experience. It means from the north to the south of the country. The areas can be drastically different, with the northern part of the country being lush with green vegetation and the southern part more dry and barren.
Early in our exploration of the land on the trip, we were taken to a spot with no Biblical significance—the cliffs of Mount Arbel. I quickly understood why; it was for the vantage point.
You see, from that point you can look out over the horizon and view almost the entire Sea of Galilee where Jesus had much of His ministry. Our leader was able to point out many of the places that we would see up close and personal in the days to come. Where Jesus called His disciples, where He walked on water, where He cast the demons into the swine and where He fed the five thousand--just to name a few.
Seeing the 12 1/2 mile lake almost in its entirety was amazing. To think that Jesus walked that region and taught in that area and performed His miracles there was awe inspiring.
We were given time for picture taking, exploration of the mountain and reflection. As I sat on the hard rock, with the warm breeze blowing, I tried to imagine the crowds that rushed to see Jesus pushing in and to hear His words, to receive healing from Him or just to discover who this man really was. If He appeared today, would people react in the same manner? Would they care to go and see Him? Would they cling to His every word? Would they give up everything in order to follow Him?
I think the answer lies in our churches today. Are people flocking in to hear the Bible taught or are they just going for a social activity? Are they attending regularly or just when it fits into their schedule? Do they live the Christian life just on Sunday or everyday of the week?
These are hard questions with perhaps some convicting answers.
Our hotel was on the shore of the Sea, so upon arriving there I wanted to continue my reflection time. Stretched out in a lounge chair facing the water with a pool to my left and a water park to my right, I thought how much things must have changed since the day of Jesus. Just at that moment a boat sped by with people tubing off the back side, next came the jet skiers and then another boat blaring its music. What would Jesus think about the changes on the Sea of Galilee?
When Jesus walked on this earth things were much simpler. As the God-man He had to know what things would be like today not just at the Sea of Galilee, but on the whole earth. He chose to come to save not just the people who lived over 2000 years ago, but for us in this generation not because we deserve it. He did it out of love for all people of all times.
Matthew 4:23 Jesus was going throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and every kind of sickness among the people.
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