A Boat Ride on the Sea of Galilee

During our visit to Israel, Marty and I took a boat out onto the Sea of Galilee. Surrounded by hills and stretching quietly beneath the open sky, the water offered a peaceful contrast to the busy cities and crowded historic sites we encountered elsewhere in the country.

Despite its name, the Sea of Galilee is a freshwater lake. Fed by the Jordan River, it has supported the communities of northern Israel for thousands of years. Fishing villages developed along its shores, and the lake remains an important source of water, food, and recreation.

The Sea of Galilee is especially significant in the New Testament. Jesus conducted much of his ministry in this region, teaching in nearby communities and calling several fishermen to become his disciples. The Gospels describe him calming a storm on these waters, walking upon the sea, and teaching the people who gathered along its shores.

During our boat ride, we passed the hillside traditionally identified as the Mount of Beatitudes. Rising above the northwestern shore of the lake, it is remembered as the setting where Jesus delivered the Sermon on the Mount and gave us the Beatitudes. The Beatitudes, with their messages of mercy, humility, righteousness, peacemaking, and love, are among my favorite teachings of Jesus. We viewed the hillside from the water, much as those crossing the Sea of Galilee would have seen it centuries ago.

Looking toward the Mount of Beatitudes from the boat connected the words of the Gospel to the landscape in which they were first heard. The hills, shoreline, and water were no longer distant settings in a familiar story. They were real places before us, still forming the natural surroundings of the Sea of Galilee.