Then Jesus went to Capernaum, a town in Galilee, and taught there in the synagogue every Sabbath day.”
Luke 4:31 NLT
Right after Jesus told Andrew, Peter, James, and John that they would begin to fish for people, what did He do?
Jesus stayed in Capernaum and began to teach regularly at the local synagogue.
Something I’d never considered was that this synagogue was where Andrew, Peter, James, and John worshiped every Sabbath.
When Jesus left Nazareth and moved to Capernaum, I’d always thought that He moved in with Peter. Peter was married. It seems as though his mother-in-law lived with him. Maybe it was a large house, and Peter had a successful fishing business.
There is the possibility, though, that James and John were Jesus’ cousins, with their mother Salome being Mary’s sister. If that is the case, it’s more likely that Jesus lived with family in Capernaum. When Jesus told John from the cross to care for Mary as his own mother, perhaps He was asking John to take her in to live in their home as Jesus had.
Think about it, though. Where does Jesus first take His followers to fish for people? They don’t go far. They stay right in their home town at their local synagogue, a place that would have been filled with relatives, neighbors, friends, and co-workers.
Jesus established the priority. Fishing begins at home.
Reach those you’re closest to.
Reach those you know and love.
Reach those who have seen the transformation in your own life.
When Jesus would later tell His disciples they would be His witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth, He wasn’t overlooking Galilee. He possibly didn’t mention Galilee because that’s where they began as His witnesses. If Jesus had uttered those words 15 months earlier, He probably would have said, “You will be My witnesses at home in Galilee, and then Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
Disciple-making begins at home.
This blogpost originally appeared at: Disciple-Making Begins Where You Are! – Sonlife and is based upon Sonlife’s study, Knowing Him / A 50 Day Study in the Life of Christ / Day 20. Knowing Him has companion videos with our global leaders shot on location in Israel. Click here to watch the video that accompanies this blogpost