in the New Testament but never mentioned in the Old.
Capernaum was a city located on the northwest
shore of the Sea of Galilee.
It is significant in Scripture because Capernaum was
the chosen home city of Jesus after
He was driven from Nazareth by the religious officials
(Luke 4:16, 28–30).
Capernaum was also the home of Peter and Andrew and
where Jesus called them to follow Him
(Matthew 4:18–20).
Jesus also found Matthew, a tax collector in Capernaum,
and called him to follow
(Matthew 9:9).
Jesus referred to Capernaum often and did many
of His miracles there
(Matthew 8:5; John 6:17–21).
He also taught in the synagogue
(John 6:59; Mark 1:21).
Although Capernaum
had been the site of so many
proofs of Jesus’ identity, the people there
refused to believe,
and He included it in a denunciation of several cities:
“Woe to you, Chorazin!
Woe to you, Bethsaida!
For if the miracles that were performed in you had been
performed in Tyre and Sidon,
they would have repented long ago, sitting in
sackcloth and ashes.
But it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon at the
judgment than for you.
And you, Capernaum, will you be
lifted to the heavens?
No, you will go down to Hades”
(Luke 10:13–15)
It was in Capernaum that Jesus healed the centurion’s son
(Matthew 8:5–13),
the nobleman’s son
(John 4:46–53),
Simon Peter’s mother-in-law
(Mark 1:30–31),
and the paralytic (Matthew 9:1–2).
In Capernaum, Jesus cast out an unclean spirit
(Mark 1:21–25),
raised Jairus’s daughter to life, and healed the
woman with the bleeding issue
(Mark 5:21–42).
The city of Capernaum represents many who
have been exposed to the gospel,
may enjoy going to church, and consider themselves
Christians by association.
The familiarity with Jesus and His Word gives them a
false sense of assurance that they are right with God
when in reality Jesus will one day say to them,
“Away from me, you evildoers!
I never knew you”
(Matthew 7:21–23).
The people of Capernaum
heard and saw
what Jesus did and said,
yet
they refused to believe
(John 1:12; 12:42).
We can speculate as to why: would believing would
cost
them too much?
Would it disrupt
their
comfortable religious life?
Would it challenge them
to repent of sin and pride,
love the unlovely, and give up
all
to follow?
(Luke 9:57–62; 4:25–33; John 6:59–66)?
Capernaum had a greater opportunity than most cities to
hear and believe in Christ,
and the residents would be held to a higher standard of judgment
(Luke 10:12; Matthew 11:24).
Likewise, we will be judged according to
the light
we’ve been given
(Matthew 5:29; 18:6; Luke 12:42–48).
If God did not spare Capernaum due to their lack of faith,
He will not spare those today
who have heard the message, seen the evidence,
and rejected His Son
(2 Peter 2:4–10; Hebrews 6:4–6).