Holy Land Pilgrimage: Sailing the Sea of Galilee

 

It’s not every day, not even every year, that you’d get to be where the Son of God displayed He was Lord of all. What a privilege it was to be on a boat crossing the Sea of Galilee where Jesus calmed the storm. That was the highlight of Day 3 of our pilgrimage. The boat stopped right in the middle of the sea and Bro Arun Gogna gave this talk after he read from Mark 4:35-41:

 

“Storms in the Sea of Galilee occur very quickly just as they happen in our lives. In this reading, God is sleeping through the strongest storm in the New Testament. The purpose of the storm is to steal your awe. When Jesus calmed the storm, the apostles returned the awe to the one it really belongs to, the one who has control over it. Storms happen even if Jesus is with you. Every time we enter a trial, Jesus is there. Following Jesus, even when there is a storm, brings inner peace.”

 

It was Papa’s dream come true – to be at the exact location of one of his favorite bible stories so he asked for the chance to share his own reflection:

 

“Because of its geological situation, violent storms commonly happen in the Sea of Galilee. It was during one of these tempests when the apostles feared for their lives as Jesus slept. When they woke Him up, He calmed the storm. God never promised us a problem-free life when we follow Him. His assurance is we will arrive safely at our destination.”

 

Reflections on Jesus Calming the Storm

After disembarking from the boat at the Capernaum National Park, we visited the Yigal Allon Centre, a museum in Kibbutz Ginosar.

 

Yigal Allon Centre in Kibbutz Ginosar

The museum houses the ancient Galilee Boat also known as the Jesus Boat. It is a wooden fishing boat from the 1^st century believed to have the same dimensions as the one Jesus sailed on in the Sea of Galilee.

 

Ancient Galilee Boat or the Jesus Boat

It wasn’t that big so I can just imagine the fear of the disciples when they were hit by a violent storm at sea. And imagine their awe when the storm stopped at Jesus’ command. For someone like me who succumbs easily to sea sickness, I can envision not just their relief but also their gratitude Jesus is there through our storms.

The last site we visited for the day also lies on the shores of the Sea of Galilee, Capharnaum (K’far Nahum – Village of Nahum or Capernaum), the Town of Jesus, as they call it.

 

Capharnaum, the Town of Jesus

There we saw the Synagogue of Capharnaum, ruins of a late 4^th century A.D. building also called the White Synagogue which is built upon the remains of the Synagogue of Jesus.

 

Synagogue of Capharnaum

Further down the street from the synagogue is St. Peter’s Church (also called the Pilgrimage Church of St. Peter), a modern hexagonal Franciscan church. Beneath this church are the archeological remains of a first century structure believed to be the House of St. Peter, the home of Jesus while He was in Capharnaum. The site is revered as “the first church in the world”.

 

Franciscan Church of St. Peter with the
archeological remains of the House of St. Peter 

Walking through the ruins was taking a step back in history, to a time when Jesus walked around this town.