Mark 1: 35-37 ~ “Everyone is looking for You!”

Suppose you had rather a difficult career. And you liked time to be in solitude and be with God and nature. This is a good place to begin.

Mark 1
35 Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed. 36 Simon and his companions went to look for him, 37 and when they found him, they exclaimed: “Everyone is looking for you!”

38 Jesus replied, “Let us go somewhere else—to the nearby villages—so I can preach there also. That is why I have come.”

A man, full of grace and truth, who the Scriptures record to be part of the dawn of creation. Separating land from sea.

Mark 1:16
Passing alongside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew the brother of Simon casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. 17 And Jesus said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you become fishers of men.”

Matthew 4

18 While walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon (who is called Peter) and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. 19 And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” 

20 Immediately they left their nets and followed him. 

21 And going on from there he saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets, and he called them.

22 Immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.

Matthew 8

1When he came down from the mountain, great crowds followed him.

5 When he had entered Capernaum, a centurion came forward to him, appealing to him

Jesus began to visit so much, he even liked the mother-in-law!

Matthew 8

 ⁴ And when Jesus entered Peter's house, he saw his mother-in-law lying sick with a fever. ¹⁵ He touched her hand, and the fever left her, and she rose and began to serve him.

Matthew 4
13 And leaving Nazareth he went and lived in Capernaum by the sea, in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali

Peter, the most prosperous fishing family in Capernaum, had a next door view of the Synagogue.

Mark 1:20-22
Without delay he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men and followed him.

21 They went to Capernaum, and when the Sabbath came, Jesus went into the synagogue and began to teach. 22 The people were amazed at his teaching, because he taught them as one who had authority, not as the teachers of the law.

Matter of fact, the synagogue has a column that Zebedee donated and named for to his sons, John and John. Zebedee had a large voice, perfect for yelling from one boat to another and he was called Thunder.

Sadly, today, Peter's house has a Church resembling a spaceship over it (it would make a nice MIB movie). However, the setting of Peter's house is beautiful. See the photos from the 1960s.

These men had many times together of joy, visiting Mary at a wedding in Cana.

Trips on the boat.

Rembrandt Storm at Sea

Picnics

 

Political Discussions which would eventually call for loyalty or division.

Long Talks

Long walks Mark told us about.

Mark 10:32
They were now on the way up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was walking ahead of them. The disciples were filled with awe

Other more memorable walks.

Disciples sometimes argued. Jesus was called upon to settle things.

Opportunities for Forgiveness.

And Loyalty

Lord, you have the Words of Life!










We would hope there would be remains today, telling us of this remarkable friendship. God's Son -

And there is. Tomorrow we will tell of the other House of Peter's. Because there is a vast archaeological similarity.

We loved the Musical "Godspell." It's actually a Biblical Repeat. Jesus wasn't born in the Palace where the Magi knocked. He chose instead what was meaningful. Love spoke to the many pilgrims who turned Peter's house into what we see in the House Churches of Acts. At one point, archaeology records Peter's house was one of the few in Capernaum with plaster walls. And during the time of Church Historians Bishop Papias of Hierapolis and Eusebius, the Bishop of Caesarea, we see no time lapse for Peter's house becoming a House Church, "domus-ecclesia", where pilgrims wrote Graffiti on the walls. The plastered walls came in handy.

Alpha and omega combinations were present, as references to Jesus Christ, but they were also found in reverse order, signifying Christ's role as the gateway to eternal life. Alpha and omega might also be separated from each other and connected by a thin line. Other letters signified other mysteries: tau indicated the cross, epsilon stood for Eden and nu for "nika", victory. But most important of all, curious combinations of rho and pi were references to the apostle Peter.There is a spiritual richness and hunger to those who visit Peter's House, leaving praise for the Lord on the Graffiti Walls.

Peter's wife and mother must have loved colored plater because red, pink, brick-red, yellow, dark brown, green, blue and white. The geometric decoration is made up of rectangular panels, lozenges, circles, floral crosses etc. Floral motifs are also recognisable, such as branches, small trees, flowers, figs and pomegranates. Apparently human or animal representations were not allowed.

Graffiti, monograms and symbols were found. The languages used in the graffiti are Greek (151 samples), Paleo-Estrangelo (13), Aramaic (9) and Latin (2).

Abba,

You renew our Mercies You load us with daily. It's so very pleasant to see Your Life You have called Joy.

When You created this earth, so many times You said, "It is good." Yesterday, today and tomorrow. It's sometimes easy to find what Joe Walsh calls, "A Flock of Wah Wah's!"

With the Help of the Holy Spirit take Hold of what God has given us. Today.

When we know Seasons change, be blessed with Today.

The seasons change and we will recall this season of summer with gratitude. We have seen family, repaired our roof at just the right time. And, we will say this again, see our family. Blessed and Blessed to be given people to Love.

Each day it's pleasant and good to remember You have delighted in mankind. You have delighted in Your Good Creation. You have delighted to give us Jesus. We will think on Your Promises and focus on what You Give. To be grateful.

We will stand firm in our faith in Jesus Christ. We will rejoice in precious times and look to the future for Your provision.

The seasons change, You do not, Father God.

You have loaded us with the benefits to pray for "Your will be done for More Heaven on earth as it is in Heaven." You have told us Heaven is a Restful Sabbath. You have told us when Nations in Heaven disagree, You provide Peace. You have told us we will need to Stand Firm in our Faith in Heaven. We want to do this with Joy on Your good creation earth. Thank You, Father.

Lifting our cares to Your capable hands. Lifting Elliott to healing from cancer, that he will play and know and rejoice with Harby in their grandchildren. For Dee and her back to be well. For the brave men and women who work to bring National Service to the people. We praise them and pray for their joy in life and safety.

Thank you, Jesus. Thank You, Father. Amen.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves! †