Popes and Praise, Food and Following

View from the Mt. of Beatitudes

Peter, do you love me?

We started the day at the ending of the one story and the launch of another. The Primacy of Peter is where John ends his gospel with a post-resurrection fishing expedition.  "Do you love me?" Jesus asked his number one disciple.  A complicated question if you have just denied him three time on the night he needed you most. But Jesus not only forgives Peter for his Good Friday failures, he entrusts the well being of the emerging church into his hands.  "Upon this rock . . . and feed my sheep."  Peter has his marching orders and every Pope since then understands he is part of the sacred succession that was commissioned in John 21.  

Sally enjoying Capernaum

I'm glad I'm not Roman Catholic because I see apostolic succession as the commissioning of all of us to share the gospel and express our spiritual gifts  - even that of teaching and preaching - regardless of gender and orientation.  

 

Jim reading
the Sermon on the Mount

But i really don't want to trash the Catholics. The sisters who tend the Mt of Beatitudes have done a lovely job with the grounds. The church is exquisite.  Jim read parts of the Sermon the Mount, a challenging word to love and live after Christ's example. We sang the favorite, 'Holy, Holy, Holy" in the chapel.  The voices filled the sanctuary and our hearts were full.  Tears flowed freely.  

Listening to our guide Rami at the Synagogue at Capernaum

Next we were off the the hometown of Jesus. Capernaum is an archaeological wonder of first century houses and one very old synagogue.  We learned about taxes and trails, all of which travelers dealt with at this crossroads. Paralytics were healed as were mother-in-laws. Fish were hauled in on nets and sold nearby.  Withered hands were made straight and people were called to follow Jesus. 

Capernaum Orthodox Church 

Did you know that if you became a disciple of any rabbi, you basically pledged complete loyalty to him?  You gave up profession and family to follow.  You offered everything to the teacher - time, money and talents. How wonderful that there were women who were disciples too. Our stop at the village of Magdala reminded us that Mary Magdalene was not only the first to see Jesus after his resurrection, she was asked by Jesus to bring messages to his disciples.  As our guide pointed out, she was a disciple to the disciples!  

Laurie and Chuck

Debbie and Sook

We had our fill at lunch, dining on St. Peter's fish. It was yet another reminder that we had just visited the place where Jesus fed thousands with a catering truck equipped only with few ingredients. How does it work to feed that many people with a measly few fish and a few loaves of bread?

The Moses Seat
at the Magdala 1st century Synagogue

We ended the day up at the top of Mt. Arbel, which featured panoramic views of all the places we had visited earlier in the day. We could see the path that Jesus grew up taking between Nazareth and the Sea of Galilee. We could imagine the Moses seat where he likely sat to teach at the synagogue at Magdala. 
Everywhere we looked, we could see his footprints.  

How amazing that we got to follow him here! 

The healing of the women with the flow of blood
at Magdala