Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-12-08
ann fia Ttrara
By DANIEL
Chapter 5


Jesus began His teaching Immediately on
His return to Galilee.
He was to find His largest and most
fervent audiences among these good, simple
peasants and fishermen. robust morally
and physically.
Unlike their neighbors, the SamaritanS,
the Galileans had remained faithful to the
Law since the Maccabean conquest of their
country. They were less sophisticated than
the people of Judea and capable Of greater
enthusiasm. They did not refine endlessly
on theology and observances; they had a
simple love of God.
Jesus at first taught in the synagogues.
This fact is worthy of note.
We are accustomed to think of Him, as
SO often represented in art preaching al
ways in the open air, on the slopes of the
fair hills above the Lake of Galilee or, in
the bow of a boat, addressing crow as
sembled by the lakeside. st. Luke, who
especially recounts this period in detail
shows us clearly the method first adopted:
to a Jew of that time wishing to promulgate
a religious doctrine. the synagogue was the
natural place.
Indeed no better place could be found
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of prayer and a school of disputation, where
faithful Jews from all the country around
resorted every Sabbath.
First Miracle at Cana
st, John tells us that He preached at Cana,
where the first miracle was performed.
st. Luke gives us a vivid sketch OF His
preaching at Nazareth. He rose, mounted
the dais, unfolded the long roll of parch-
ment upon which the text was inscribed,
tnen choosing certain verses as if by chance,
handed the scroll back to the hassan. Then
He began His commentary and the eyes
of all them that were in the synagogue
were fastened upon Him"
The audience was unaware of the i'm
mediate r%elevance of the text that He had
chosen. 1.-THE spirit of the Lord God is upon
me; because the Lord hath anointed me to
preach good tidings unto the meek; he
hath sent me to bind up the broken-hearted,
to proclaim liberty to the c~aptives, and the
opening of the prison to them that are
ound. To proclaim the acceptable year of
the Lord"
They did not suspect, these rough
peasants from the Galilean hills, that He
WIN oO0A ooCA SAiCul wa tAIdt EIilLitdIIuSI
whom Isaiah had foretold and that He
brought a message of peace more profound
than that of any Sabbatical Year, when,
once in so years. the fields were untitled,
bondmen received their liberty, and lands
taken for debt reverted to their original
owners.
Then He came down" into Capernaum.
The Gospel term is exactly descriptive.
Road Remains the Same
We can follow the road today; it is about
10 hours journey from Nazareth to the
shore of the lake, travelling along the level
plateau till we see framed, in the black
basalt of the gorge of Arbela, the perfect
lake below, it's intense blue set of against
the copper-colored shore. Once We have
crossed the pass the landscape changes,
the road skirts the lake closely and 1t is
dominated by steep heights. But the tapping
of the clear water, the gentle motion of the
sails and the clusters of lemon trees and
Towering oleanders make up a less forbid
ding picture.
Capernaum was not a Hellenistic city like
Tiberias Or Julia, the neighboring towns.
1t was essentially Jewish, although 1t was
open to trade with foreigners from the rich
lands of Hauran or from Phoenicia. It's
narrow streets exuded a strong odor of fish
scales thrown out on the ground, curiously
mixed with the smell of roses and orange
blossom. The houses were built Of dark
basalt except the synagogue, which rose up
among them in cleaning white limestone.
st. Mark gives a summary of his words: THE
time Is fulfilled and the kingdom Of God is
at hand; repent We and believe the gospel"
Repentance and faith were indeed the
bases of His message but He must have said
many other things, for we read in the same
account that they were astonished at His
doctrine, for He taught them as one that
had authority, and not as the scribes."
There were other things being done at
the same time which displayed the power
Of the new prophet in a way which was
singularly disturbing.
Story of Cana Reported
The story Of the miracle at Cana two
months earlier had been banded around
the countryside. One of Antipas' officers.