The town of Capernaum is mentioned many times in Scripture and played a significant role in the life of Jesus.

Capernaum was a crossroad of primary importance, found along the Damascus highway. Capernaum was the major center of trade and commerce in Galilee. This international trade route extended from Egypt through Palestine to Syria and Mesopotamia. This was Galilee of the Gentiles

There was enough distance between Capernaum and the big centres to allow Jesus to be able to spread his messianic message without running into trouble with the political and religious leaders. Jesus was fulfilling the Scripture as he settled in Capernaum (Matthew 4:12-16). Capernaum became the place that Jesus called home. The literal translation of Capernaum means “a village of comfort.” Home should always be the place of comfort….

This town of Jesus became the cradle of Christianity as Jesus began his ministry here after his time in the wilderness. Jesus would often return to the town after preaching in the country side along the northern shore of the Sea of Galilee. It was from this town that he chose his first disciples. It is widely believed that Jesus performed more miracles in this town than any other place.

There are two notable historical sites in Capernaum: the beautiful synagogue and what is traditionally thought to have been Peter's house.

The house of Peter is mentioned in all four gospels. It is very close to the synagogue. Clearly, Jesus felt welcomed to Peter's house and the road to this friend's house was never long.

Today, the ruins of Capernaum's ancient synagogue still stand. It was here that Jesus taught as one who had authority (Mark 1:21). It was here that Jesus proclaimed that he was the bread of life (John 6:59). It was here in this synagogue that Jesus healed a man possessed by an evil spirit (Mark 1:23-27). It was this synagogue, which Luke says, was built by the centurion whose servant Jesus later healed (Luke 7:3-5). Jesus also raised from the dead the daughter of this synagogue's leader (Luke 8:49-53).

Capernaum was the place where a woman was bold enough to touch the hem of his garment. It was here that Jesus healed a lame man lowered down through a hole in a roof by his friends. These miracles demonstrated God's incredible heart of compassion for Israel and for the whole world. But these powerful demonstrations of Christ's deity did not convince everyone. Apparently, many who saw these miracles shrugged their shoulders and continued on unchanged. It was because of these attitudes that Jesus actually cursed the city of Capernaum—his home town! "And you, Capernaum, will you be lifted up to the skies? No, you will go down to the depths. If the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Sodom, it would have remained to this day. But I tell you that it will be more bearable for Sodom on the day of judgment than for you" (Matthew 11:23-24).

Jesus clearly showed himself to be the Son of God—the One who had almighty power and could perform miracles. The people of Capernaum were privileged to have witnessed Jesus, the Light of the world, as a miracle-worker. But the people refused to listen to his message. He was with the people. They had wasted the opportunity to embrace Christ in his fullness. They chose to stay in the darkness. They missed it!

What a lesson for us! Revelation demands responsibility! As the scripture says, "From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked" (Luke 12:48).

Until we embrace Jesus, the Truth, and take his words to heart, we jeopardize and miss out on God's reward and blessings. Sometimes it is when we are in our “place of comfort” that we become complacent and risk everything. To be blessed with the Lord's presence and to see him working in our midst should stir our hearts towards repentance so that we will live differently and respond to the Light of the world. If we don't, we will miss it…

Nancy Turley is the territorial abuse advisor for the Canada and Bermuda Territory. She and her husband, Joel, attend the Bracebridge Corps with their three children: Ethan, Aidan and Jordan. Nancy enjoys hiking in Algonquin Park with her family. Her column will feature reflections from her journey to the Holy Land.