Capernaum

It was here that Peter and Matthew lived and after being rejected by the people of his home, Nazareth, Christ came here. It is often called Christ’s “own city” More miracles happened here than any other location during the ministry of the Savior including casting out an evil spirit, healing Peter’s mother-in-law, raising or Jairus’ daughter, healing the woman who had the issue of blood and healing the paralytic man who was lowered through the roof.

BREAD OF LIFE
John 6: 41-66
This synagogue was were Christ gave his sermon about being the “bread of life” Our teacher told us about a group of student they had here who were stranded in a city while the bus was being repaired. As they waited, some bought round bread shaped in disks and began to through them around like frisbees. A man came out and asked them to stop. He said, “bread is sacred here” He further explained that for the people bread is more than food it is a symbol of a community effort and it is life for them. To make bread, they are dependent on God for the water and the soil. The men are those that provide physical labor to sow the wheat and finally the women are those that knead the dough and bake the bread. Through everyone’s efforts and the goodness of God from the start, bread for the people is a symbol of dependence on a goodness of God. As you walk through the city of Jerusalem you will see that there is never a crumb of bread thrown on the ground. If it is given to birds they place it on a bench or a platform, but never on the ground.



THE WOMAN WITH THE ISSUE OF BLOOD
While in Capernaum my friend Hayley and I were in charge of sharing some of the miracles that Christ performed while in this city. One that particulary touched me as I looked at the story in greater light was that of the woman with the issue of blood.
This woman was sick for 12 years. According to my roommate Julia who is a representative for a group that deals with blood related illnesses, this type of sickness is typically discovered at the age of a young girls first menstruation (age 12 or 13) That would put her at about my age: 24 or 25. She has been to numerous doctors and has spent all the money that she has. Not only has she tried everything, lost everything, but in the end she was made worse than when she began. Can you imagine the frustrations? The despair? Had she given up? In addition to this, consider the consequences of her sickness. As a Jew, she was considered unclean because of her condition. This means that for 12 years she has had no physical touch from any man. No hugs, no arm to hold her up as she is too weak to get up, no pat of comfort – nothing. She has no hope for marriage or for children. Now, in this state, she hears of Christ and desires that he heal her of this sickness. Brother Draper has reason to believe that this woman was one which is recorded as living in Caesasrea Phillipi, a city some 25 miles away. For her to come to Christ, that means a walk in the immense heat (that we have experienced here and complain about when we have air-conditioned buses) and she must get there in an extremely anemic condition. Julia, my roomate recounted her worst moments of weakness when she dealt with a similar illness. She would literally have to take a great effort to roll over onto her side and then crawl hands and knees resting every few feet. Would it have been the same for this woman? What would her journey have been like? Now, as she see the Savior she thinks, “If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole” As a woman who is considered unclean, her touching the actual Savior and he knowing it would result in his uncleanliness as well
So with all the energy that she can muster, she reaches out for the hem of the garment – the mantle that all Jewish men wore (and still wear today) which has tassels and a thin sky blue ribbon representative of the Abrahamic Covenant. She reaches for it, touches it and immediately feels herself healed. 12 YEARS of being shunned and rejected from her community, 12 years of a hopeless future, 12 years of doctor visits without progress and suddenly – cured. But her joy changes quickly to fear and trembling as she sees that he has realized that she has touched him. Remember the implications and consequences of him realizing she had touched him while she was unclean. She falls to her feet and tells the Savior her story. He listens and replies to her, “daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace, and be whole of thy plague” (34)