“After this he went down to Capernaum with his mother and brothers and his disciples. There they stayed for a few days.”
Jesus had been in Cana which was in the hills west of Galilee. After the wedding event, he went back to Capernaum, nestled on the shore of Galilee. He was there a few days with his closest friends and family, then he left for Jerusalem.
For me perhaps like most people, I have glossed over this verse and moved on to the next events in Jerusalem where in his anger, he cleared the temple of the money-changes, marketers and more. And yet there it is. Sandwiched between Jesus’ first miracle and the temple outreach. Jesus hung out with friends and family.
Maybe it was an insignificant detail. But these little snippets are found throughout the unfolding of Jesus life. ”
- “Jesus and his disciples went out into the Judean countryside, where he spent some time with them…” (2:22).
- Jesus told the disciples, “”Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.” So they went away by themselves in a boat to a solitary place” (Mk 6:32)
I think it’s the non-public, non-dramatic moments that really define Jesus. He invested in his relationships to be able to do the work of ministry. That meant special times with those he loved–his friends, his family and his Father. He also made sure that his disciples had the same. It really comes down to this: Our place of communion is the foundation of fulfilling our calling.
