Next, travel to Capernaum, the center of Jesus' ministry. Visit the synagogue on the site where Jesus taught (Matt. 4).
UD 1-6-15 SS The Orthodox church is built in the middle of the ruins of the ancient Roman village of Kfar-Nahum (Capernaum). Around the church the remains of the village have not yet been excavated, unlike the synagogue of Capernaum and the buildings around it. The area under the control of the Orthodox church is 1/3 of the entire ruins, which covers about 60 dunams (6 Hectares). The village was established in the Hellenistic period, and was designed according to that period's urban design of straight lines. The village prospered in the Roman and Byzantine periods. It was destroyed in the Persian conquest in the 6th C AD.
Capernaum was the center of Christ's ministry and the place where he called several of His disciples to Him. Capernaum is a compelling location to consider the calling of and to Christ. As the good shepherd, Christ calls His by name and they are willing to come unto Him as we see in the calling of the apostles.
Matthew 20:1-16 1: For the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which went out early in the morning to hire labourers into his vineyard. 2: And when he had agreed with the labourers for a penny a day, he sent them into his vineyard. 3: And he went out about the third hour, and saw others standing idle in the marketplace, 4: And said unto them; Go ye also into the vineyard, and whatsoever is right I will give you. And they went their way. 5: Again he went out about the sixth and ninth hour, and did likewise. 6: And about the eleventh hour he went out, and found others standing idle, and saith unto them, Why stand ye here all the day idle? 7: They say unto him, Because no man hath hired us. He saith unto them, Go ye also into the vineyard; and whatsoever is right, that shall ye receive. 8: So when even was come, the lord of the vineyard saith unto his steward, Call the labourers, and give them their hire, beginning from the last unto the first. 9: And when they came that were hired about the eleventh hour, they received every man a penny. 10: But when the first came, they supposed that they should have received more; and they likewise received every man a penny. 11: And when they had received it, they murmured against the goodman of the house, 12: Saying, These last have wrought but one hour, and thou hast made them equal unto us, which have borne the burden and heat of the day. 13: But he answered one of them, and said, Friend, I do thee no wrong: didst not thou agree with me for a penny? 14: Take that thine is, and go thy way: I will give unto this last, even as unto thee. 15: Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? Is thine eye evil, because I am good? 16: So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen. Matthew 11:28 28: Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Luke 10:22 22: All things are delivered to me of my Father: and no man knoweth who the Son is, but the Father; and who the Father is, but the Son, and he to whom the Son will reveal him. Romans 9:11-16 11: (For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth;) 12: It was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger. 13: As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated. 14: What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid. 15: For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. 16: So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy. I Corinthians 2:10-12 10: But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. 11: For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. 12: Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. Ephesians 2:1 1: And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; I Corinthians 1:23 23: But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness;