Jesus’ move from Nazareth to Kefar Nahum, (the village of
Nahum, Capernaum) was a tremendous change — from a little farm village hidden
up in the hills, to a bustling lakeside fishing port.
Capernaum had much better agriculture than Nazareth. Not only was it warmer
at 700 feet below sea level than 2000 feet higher up in Nazareth, there was
fertile volcanic soil rather than the chalky rendzina soil of Nazareth.
Capernaum had two others factors in favor of its growth that were not present
in Nazareth at all: fishing and trade. Its location on the main branch of the
international trade route between Egypt to the southwest and Mesopotamia to the
northeast was especially significant.
Once his public career began in earnest after the forty days of temptation in
the wilderness, Jesus’ fame grew rapidly. He could not live long in obscurity
after moving to Capernaum because he was no longer in an out-of-the-way village,
but on a much traveled trade route. He attracted so much attention that the
houses of Capernaum, and very likely the synagogue itself, were not big enough
for the crowds that gathered. Soon the hillsides of Capernaum became his outdoor
auditorium.
Healing the Paralytic
It happened in a house in Capernaum. There was not room for the crowd, and
some friends who brought a paralytic couldn’t get near to Jesus. So they went
up on the roof, pulled it apart and lowered the man down to Jesus. When Jesus
saw their faith he said to the invalid, "Your sins are forgiven you."
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