The Beginning of the Galilæan Ministry
After passing through Samaria, Jesus arrived in Galilee, and it
was in Galilee that a large part of his ministry was carried on. The
Galilæan ministry is narrated for the most part by the first three
Gospels, which are called Synoptic Gospels, whereas the Gospel According
to John deals more particularly with the work in Judea.
Luke 4:16-30
After the healing of a nobleman's son, when Jesus was at Cana of
Galilee, our Lord began his preaching in the Galilæan synagogues.
Early in this period he went to Nazareth, the place where he had
been brought up. Luke 4:16-30. But the people of Nazareth could
not believe that the carpenter's Son whom they had known was really
chosen by God to fulfill the glorious prophecies of Isaiah. When
rebuked by Jesus they even desired to kill him. Thus did they illustrate,
to their own eternal loss, the words of Jesus that "No prophet
is acceptable in his own country."
Leaving Nazareth, our Lord went down and dwelt at Capernaum,
making that city apparently the center of his work. But before the
details of the Galilæan ministry are studied, it will be well to cast a
hurried glance at the geographical features of the country where Jesus'
ministry was carried on.
The political divisions of Palestine have already been mentioned—Galilee
in the north, under the tetrarch, Herod Antipas; Samaria
and Judea to the south, under the Roman procurator, Pontius Pilate.
But the physical features of the country do not correspond at all to
the political divisions. Physically the country is divided into four
narrow strips, each about one hundred and fifty miles long, running
from north to south. The westernmost strip is the coastal plain,
along the Mediterranean Sea, into which Jesus hardly went; then
comes the low hill country, the "shephela"; then the highlands, upon
which Jerusalem is situated, reaching an altitude of some 2500 feet
above sea level. These central highlands of Palestine are broken
by the plain of Esdraelon, in southern Galilee. A little to the north
of this plain, in a hill country, lies the town of Nazareth. East of the
central highlands is the deep valley of the Jordan River. The Jordan
rises in the extreme north of Palestine, one of its sources being
on the slopes of the lofty Mount Hermon; then flows southward to
the lake called "the waters of Merom"; then, issuing from that lake,
it flows, after a short course, into the Lake of Gennesaret, or Sea of
Galilee, which is about twelve miles long; then, issuing from the Lake
of Gennesaret, it flows southward, through a very deep valley to the
Dead Sea, which has no outlet and is extremely salt. During most
of its course the Jordan Valley lies far below the level of the sea, being
on account of this peculiarity absolutely unique among the river valleys
of the world. The Dead Sea is 1292 feet, and the Lake of Gennesaret
682 feet, below sea level. It was on the shores of the Lake of Gennesaret
that a large part of our Lord's ministry was carried on. Centuries
of misrule have now ruined the country, but in those days Galilee
supported a large population. The shores of the lake, particularly,
were lined with villages and towns. The work of our Lord was thus
carried on amid "life's throng and press," though from time to time
he sought out the desert places for rest and prayer.
At the beginning of the ministry on the shores of the Lake of Galilee,
Jesus called the two pairs of brothers—Simon Peter and Andrew, and
James and John. Matt. 4:18-22, and parallels. They had known
Jesus before, and had devoted themselves to his service. But now
they were commanded to show their devotion by leaving their ordinary
occupation and becoming Jesus' permanent followers.
The Gospels give a vivid picture of a Sabbath which Jesus spent
at Capernaum near the beginning of his Galilæan ministry. Mark 1:21-34,
and parallels. As usual, he went into the synagogue. Our
Lord knew how to find God's handiwork in the flowers of the field;
but he was not like those who think that the worship of God through
nature is any substitute for the public worship of the Church. In
the synagogue the people were astonished at Jesus' teaching: "He
taught them as having authority, and not as the scribes." But
they were also astonished at his power; he commanded even the unclean
spirits and they obeyed him. He was not merely a teacher,
but also a healer; he brought not merely guidance, but also active help.
After the synagogue service, Jesus went into the house of Simon
and Andrew with James and John. In the house he healed Simon's
wife's mother who was sick of a fever. Others had heard of the wonderful
power of Jesus, and desired to be healed. But in order not to
break the Sabbath, they waited until sunset, when the Jewish Sabbath
was over. At sunset they brought to Jesus those who were sick and
those who were possessed with demons, and Jesus put forth his divine
power to heal.
It had been a crowded, busy day. Our Lord must have been weary
as night at last came. But even in such busy days, he took time to
seek the source of all strength. A great while before the dawn he
went out into a desert place and there prayed. Mark 1:35-39, and
parallels.
After a tour in the Galilæan synagogues, with both preaching and
healing, our Lord returned to Capernaum. There, as is told in one
of the vivid narratives of the Gospels, Jesus healed a paralytic. Matt.
9:1-8, and parallels. The sick man could not be brought in by the
door of the house because of the crowds. But he and his friends were
not to be denied. The four friends who bore his couch lowered him
through the roof into the place where Jesus was. They had found the
Healer at last. But bodily healing was not the first gift which Jesus
bestowed. "Son," said Jesus, "thy sins are forgiven." It was a strange
physician indeed who could forgive sins. The scribes said that the
word of Jesus was blasphemy. And so it was, unless Jesus himself
were God. As a proof of his divine power, the Lord said also to the
paralytic, "Arise, and take up thy bed, and walk." And so the man
went away from the presence of the great Healer, whole in body and
in mind.
QUESTIONS ON LESSON V
