It was on this return journey to Capernaum that the two blind men had their sight restored. It was then, also, that the healing of the demonised dumb man took place.

However interesting and important it is to follow the steps of Jesus through Galilee, the task of recording it all chronologically seems rather tricky.

The next recorded event in Jesus’ journey through Galilee followed almost immediately. This concerns the much-forgiven woman who had much sinned

It was early Springtime in Galilee. Yesterday, it was the sorrow of the pagan Centurion which touched the heart of the Supreme Commander of life and death.

We are once again in Capernaum. It is remarkable how much in the life and ministry of Jesus centres around that little fishing town. Here was the home of that believing Court official, whose child Jesus had healed.

Before the calling of the Twelve as his ambassadors and representatives, Jesus probably spent a night of lonely prayer on one of those mountain ranges which stretch to the north of Capernaum. But as dawn broke, the eager multitude waited for him on the plateau beneath.

The call of Matthew accompanied the call of the other disciples (who were also designated Apostles), starting with Peter and Andrew, James and John, Philip and Bartholomew (or Bar Telamyon generally supposed the same as Nathanael).

There are two main differences between Christianity and all other religious systems, including Rabbinic Judaism. All others offer no hope to the sinner until, through some means. He ceases to be a sinner.

We know that the Gospels only report events of importance to the narrative of his life and times so it is interesting to note that, in the second journey of Jesus through Galilee, no other special event is recorded than the healing of the leper.

Significantly, his work began where that of the Rabbis ended. Whatever remedies - medical, magical, or sympathetic - Rabbinic writings may indicate for various kinds of disease, leprosy is not included in the catalogue.

What an exhausting day that must have been for him. Yet, the following day, Jesus woke up very early, between three and six o’clock in the morning. It was not until some time afterwards that the disciples went out looking for him.

It was the first Sabbath after his return from Jerusalem and the calling of his disciples. He was now being watched from afar. It seems that the authorities of Jerusalem had sent people to track his steps in Galilee.

As Jesus returned to Galilee, it would have been a relief to escape from the stifling spiritual atmosphere of Jerusalem; from the self-seeking, intellectual, heartless collection of Rabbis, whose first active persecution Jesus had just encountered in Jerusalem, to the honest, simple, earnest, impulsive Galileans.

Autumn came and Jesus travelled from Galilee to ‘an unknown feast’ in Jerusalem, possibly Rosh Hashanah, the Feast of Trumpets. It appears that he was alone.

After a short stay in Cana, we follow Jesus to Nazareth, the city of his childhood. It has only been a few months since he left there, but much had happened since!

The brief ‘revival’ in Samaria was, as Jesus had indicated to his disciples, the beginning of something bigger. It formed the introduction to his ministry in Galilee, which might be summed up by the words, ‘in the power of the Spirit,’ with which he describes his return to Galilee.

Samaria was on the shorter road between Galilee and Judea, though Judeans preferred a long detour to avoid it. Why should that be? Samaritans were considered hostile and impure, but not by Jesus.

Straight away he led his family and disciples to Capernaum (Kephar Nachum), to become his base of operations. The synagogue stood by the shores of Lake Galilee, built of white limestone on a dark basalt foundation

Straight away he led his family and disciples to Capernaum (Kephar Nachum), to become his base of operations. The synagogue stood by the shores of Lake Galilee, built of white limestone on a dark basalt foundation.

Jesus’ conversation with Nathanael was in fact his first sermon and here he made use of a significant expression concerning himself, Son of Man. Nathanael had referred to his divinity, the Son of God and so. Here, Jesus reminds them too of his humanity.