The Landscapes

When Jesus heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew to Galilee. He left Nazareth and went to live in Capernaum by the sea, in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali, that what had been said through Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled: Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali, the way to the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles, the people who sit in darkness have seen a great light, on those dwelling in a land overshadowed by death light has arisen. 

From that time on, Jesus began to preach and say, "Repent, for the Kingdom of heaven is at hand." He went around all of Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the Gospel of the Kingdom, and curing every disease and illness among the people. His fame spread to all of Syria, and they brought to him all who were sick with various diseases and racked with pain, those who were possessed, lunatics, and paralytics, and he cured them. And great crowds from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, and Judea, and from beyond the Jordan followed him. (Matthew 4:12-17, 23-25)

Today’s Gospel gives us a tour of sorts of Jesus’ world and a look at locations that predated him.  We know of Capernaum on the north shore of the Sea of Galilee, west of Bethsaida and north of Magdala with Gennesaret in between.   Nazareth was about 15 miles southwest of Magdala.  This was Lower Galilee in the time of Jesus.  Decapolis was the region southeast of Lower Galilee.

On the other hand, Zebulun and Naphtali were regions part of the united kingdom of Israel and Judah.  This was Solomon’s kingdom from 970-930 B.C.  The Sea of Galilee was called the Sea of Chinnereth at that time.  

To properly understand Jesus’ travels, we need maps.  To appreciate what happened before him, such during Solomon’s time, a map is important.  For these reasons two maps are included here.  

Isaiah said, “...the people who sit in darkness have seen a great light, on those dwelling in a land overshadowed by death light has arisen."  Gospel writers concluded that light was Jesus whose fame spread far and wide.  He cured people such as those racked with pain.  We turn to him to help cure us from physical as well as spiritual pain – pain so common in 2020 and likely to continue in 2021 for a short while we all hope and pray.

Deacon David Pierce