And all the world will see

Our whole time in Galilee, we focused a lot on the general theme of the international nature of Yeshua’s mission. In Nazareth, we briefly covered the start of Yeshua’s ministry.

Sunset from Nazareth Ridge

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind, to set free those who are oppressed, to proclaim the favorable year of the Lord,” Yeshua read. And everyone in the synagogue that day smiled, because they had been waiting for this day.

Imagine their surprise and horror when Yeshua began to talk about the times the Lord had done something for the Gentiles. They were not the ones oppressed! The Jews were oppressed under the thumb of Rome!

Sea of Galilee from a mountaintop

But slowly, Yeshua introduced the idea that redemption was not only for them. “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted,” the psalmist writes. The Lord is close to the brokenhearted, because the brokenhearted are those who do not know him. The captives are those still caught in the chains of not knowing the Lord. But at the beginning of Yeshua’s ministry, he was trying to tell Israel that they were called to minister to the nations – and they didn’t want to hear it!

Caught up in their selfish understanding of the Lord’s promise, they held the covenant to themselves. They did not share it, nor did they want to.

Yeah, we went on a boat on the Sea of Galilee ^_^

Looking down from the top of the Cliffs of Arbel over Galilee

Yeshua moved to Capernaum, smack dab in the middle of the international trade route. And he chose disciples from the area around the Sea of Galilee. Many were fisherman. The Sea of Galilee was a great equalizer between the three political districts surrounding it. One was primarily Jewish, one was primarily Gentile, and one was mixed. But while fishing, everyone is the same. They had to talk and trade with Gentiles – they had to do this in order to survive on some accounts.

The disciples probably already had an idea of an international concept of taking the message to the nations. The Great Commission, given on top of a mountain likely overlooking the international road confirmed this.

“Go and make disciples of ALL nations,” Yeshua told his disciples. All nations. The good news wasn’t just for the Jews.

Another look down from the top of the Cliffs

This goes back to the concept of shalom. Shalom is wholeness, it is life as it should be. It’s not this poor concept we call “peace.” The people had peace in this time under Roman rule – the Pax Romana. But shalom is not just about peace. It is about a balance between the peoples. It is wholeness in every heart. It is wholeness in every community across the world. Where there is wholeness, then there is peace. But wholeness comes first. And with wholeness is life as it should be – every people praising the name of the Lord for his great mercies, that he would want the whole world to be his.

“He is jealous for me,” a song goes. For me? Yes, the Lord is jealous for me. But even more importantly, he is jealous for the whole world.

Sea of Galilee from Capernaum

“And all the world will see Yeshua, and all the world will see salvation, and all the world will see the He is King,” another song says. This is the gospel. This is the good news.