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© Focus on Jesus. Focus on Souls. ©
Nov. 18 - Yummy St. Peter’s Fish
Finally, it was lunchtime. We came to the southern end of the lake. We dined at a large restaurant, Kibbutz Ein Gev, equipped of serving a multitude of tourists. Now, just few tour buses parked in the lot. Doron introduced Kibbutz as a social system’s community. People live and run the business together. Already, Almost all partners knew what we needed to order: the St. Peter’s fish. It seemed to be an Israeli Tilapia. Indeed, the chef was good. The fried St. Peter’s fish tasted as satisfying as its name. It was somewhat spiritual to eat this fish…
Looking over the calmly beautiful water, my mind wondered. Andrew excitedly told his brother Simon they had discovered the Messiah. Right away, the Messiah changed his name to Peter, meaning rock. Simon Peter gave up fishing and chased after Jesus with Andrew. They were the first two disciples Jesus called. Peter tried walking on water and got scared. He was at Jesus’ transfiguration and heard Father speaking. He denied Jesus three times. He went fishing naked (when Jesus appeared to the disciples the third time after resurrection). Three times Jesus asked him, “Do you love me?” Through all these, God turned Peter into an apostle to the Jews with signs, wonders and miracles following. He truly walked on water, became a kingdom history maker and wrote two books of the New Testament. And now, with a fish named after him.
Sea (Lake) of Galilee
The lake is shaped like a harp, 13 miles (21km) long and 7 miles (11km) wide. In Jesus’ time, Jews lived at the north side and gentiles lived at the south side. The lake used to sit by the Syrian border. Now, Israel occupies the Golan Heights. More properties, businesses and agriculture have been developed on the north and eastern shore.
Jesus walked the shore and recruited his first fisherman disciples, including Peter and Andrew – sons of Bar-Jonah, James and John – sons of Zebedee, Philip and Nathanael. Jesus taught by the lake, in the synagogues, preached the good news of the kingdom, healed every disease and sickness among the people and delivered the demon possessed. [Matthew 4:12-25] He spoke many parables. Large crowds often followed Jesus. He and disciples often crossed the lake over to the other side. He calmed the storms, walked on water and raised the dead.
If interested, you may get additional information of the lake and view a map of the first century harbors around the Sea of Galilee at http://www.ubfellowship.org/graphics/sogports.htm.
Gadarenes
After lunch, we rode along east then north side of the lake. Doron pointed out the region of Gadarenes. There Jesus met a demon-possessed man who lived in the tombs. The demon inside the man said his name was Legion. A legion is 10,000 in Hebrew, Doron said. Although the devil might have lied to Jesus this man was surely extremely demon possessed. Jesus drove the demons into a herd of about 2000 pigs. They rushed down the steep bank and drowned. The town people were scared of Jesus and told him to leave. Jesus instructed the delivered man to tell the good news to the Decapolis. Dec mean 10. Decapolis mean 10 cities. [Mark 5:1-20, Luke 8:26-39]
Capernaum
Along the way, we passed by Bethsaida. It’s located at northeast side of the lake. Andrew, Peter and Philip came from Bethsaida. Also, we went by Kefar Nahum. Kefar means village. Kefar Nahum was the village of prophet Nahum.
Capernaum is near Kefar Nahum and at the north-northwest shore. Doron called it Jesus’ headquarter.
After Jesus had fasted 40 days in the wilderness, prepared for his upcoming ministry and won the victory of Satan’s temptation, he came to Galilee to live in Capernaum. Jesus began to preach “Repent! For the kingdom of heaven is near.” [Matthew 4:12-17] He taught in the synagogue there. He healed a royal official’s son who lay sick in Capernaum. [John 4:43-54] There, Jesus also healed a Roman centurion’s servant and marveled at the centurion’s greater faith than all Jews’. [Luke 7:1-10]
We made a stop at the ‘headquarter.’ At the entrance, I gladly found a kitten. We had hardly seen pets around since arriving Israel. It was friendly and came to me. I held and patted the little orange tabby. This little thing began to suck on my blouse. Contrary to her usual serious look, Vera came by with eyes lit up and a huge smile. She said joyfully she loved cats. I was surprised and enjoyed her compassion toward the kitten.
We saw the place where Peter’s house was and the remains of two synagogues. One was built with black stones and the other with white. The newer one was built on the foundation of the old one. Ten Jews can form a synagogue. (I forgot what Doron had said the biblical reason was.)
Mount of Beatitudes
A Boat Tour
Don’t remember where we boarded the boat. It was close to dusk. Brother Joshua sat by my left. He was an Ethiopian and went to Denmark for 19 years. Thirty-three years ago, he saw two men praying in his dream. Twenty years later, he discovered Brother Cerullo was one of the two praying men in the dream. God instructed Brother Joshua to faithfully support Brother Cerullo and his ministry. So he has done for 13 years. Brother Joshua has also become an apostle to the nations with great power and authority. He and his wife have five children – age 12, 13, 14, 15 and 16. Wow!
As the boat went quite some ways into the lake, the captain turned off its engine. Brother and Pastor John gave a sermon. He encouraged us to have great faith, and boldly take spiritual walks on water like Jesus did. While he was speaking, wind from nowhere began to blow harshly. I got a skin-deep taste of the storms disciples had experienced and written in the Bible. Soon, we docked at Tiberias. I was disappointed and wished we could have time on the boat just to quietly pray and worship, meditate and enjoy the moment.
Tiberias
Tiberias has a population of about 50,000 residents. It has hot springs outside of town. Tiberias is a resort area. The buses took us to a gem factory famous for its diamond cutting work. After watching a promotion film, Claudine and I wandered about the store for a short while. Then we went back on the bus to go to the Kibbutz hotel. Some stayed for more shopping.
Our Tiberias Kibbutz hotel was totally different from conventional hotels. Each hotel room was a single dwelling unit like a small home, had a barbeque and patio chairs outside and overlooked the Sea of Galilee. It was pitch-dark when we checked in. We were surprised by the gorgeous lake view only the next morning.
Upon partner’s request, Doron arranged water baptism in River Jodan, a place about five minutes away from the hotel, after dinner. This was the first time they allowed baptism at night. Usually, they’d close in the afternoon. Betty and I prayed. She decided to go while I opted out. The next morning Betty told me she had had a wonderful baptismal experience. The water was not as cold as some had predicted. Both Pastors John and Glenn helped baptize about 40 partners. Someone told us a Jewish businessman came by, watched the nightly baptism and asked, “You came here all the way from America just to get baptized?”
The Lord willing, next time He will bring me to Isreal I’d like to have a baptism in River Jorden just like Jesus had.
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The
Sea of Galilee was also called Lade of Gennesaret and Sea of Tiberias.
Gennesaret means garden of happiness. Mary Magdalene was from Gennesar, on
northwest lakeshore. Jesus drove out seven demons from her and appeared first
to her after his resurrection. [Mark 16:9]
We
visited the Mount of Beatitudes. A well-maintained Franciscan church sits
there. From the back balcony of the building, we took a bird’s-eye view of the
lake and nearby valley. It was a scene of tranquility. How did it look like or
feel like during the time of war before Israel took over the Golan Heights? The
peace and beauty on and around the Mt. Beatitudes seemed to stand perfectly for
Jesus’ teaching of ‘the Beatitudes.’ [Matthew 5]