Anchor My Faith

Jesus Returns to Capernaum

Scripture: Mt 9:1; Mk 2:1-3; Lk 5:17

We ended Lesson 171 with Jesus traveling with four disciples, Andrew, John, Simon and James, throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction among the people. ^{“Mk 2:1} [Now] after some days, ^{Mt. 9:1} getting into a boat [Jesus] crossed over and came to his own city.” Those some days were spent traveling from place to place doing ministry. Jesus apparently ended his travel on the opposite side of the Sea of Galilee from his own city of Capernaum. Getting into a boat he and his four disciples cross over to his own city. We are not told specifically that the four that he previously called were still with him, but that is what I am assuming.

^{“Mk 2:1} When he returned to Capernaum, it was reported that he was at home.” As we mentioned in a previous lesson, Capernaum was selected as the home base of his ministry in the region of Galilee. Capernaum was chosen instead of staying in his home town of Nazareth because of persecution against him there. By word of mouth it became known that Jesus was back and so we can expect some exciting things to happen.

^{“Lk 5:17} On one of those days, as he was teaching, Pharisees and teachers of the law were sitting there, who had come from every village of Galilee and Judea and from Jerusalem. And the power of the Lord was with him to heal.” Wherever Jesus is, one can expect him to be teaching because he was sent by his Father with a message to proclaim. In the audience, on one of those days of teaching, were Pharisees and teachers of the law. The Pharisees were a fairly small but highly influential group of Jews who emphasized a meticulous observance of God’s law. The teachers of the law would be the Scribes. These Pharisees and teachers of the law that were there that day were from every village, indicating how popular Jesus had become.

^{“Mk 2:2} [So] many were gathered together, that there was no more room, not even at the door. And he was preaching the word to them.” Probably about 50 people were squeezed inside the house and the rest were outside the door trying to hear what Jesus was saying. While he taught there were others coming which would make for an interesting time: ^{“Mk 2:3} And they came, bringing to him a paralytic carried by four men.” Having seen or at least hearing that Jesus is very good at healing, they brought a paralytic to Jesus, but when they arrive they are faced with the problem of getting through the crowd to Jesus.

In the next lesson we will learn how they solved that problem and what happened as a result. That lesson will contain some interesting events.

Prayer

Father, how much I am enjoying and how interesting it is to walk with Jesus along the gospel path as a single story line through the gospels. To see how Jesus is revealing who he is and why he came from heaven; to see who embrace him as his friends and those who are growing in their hate toward him, provides us with needed understanding of Christianity. Thank you for sending Jesus, the living Word of God, to us.