Touching the Promise Land 11 | Day 2 - THE CHURCH OF THE BEATITUDES
- Regina Liu
- Jan 19
- 3 min read
BLESSED ARE THE POOR IN SPIRIT ...
Strictly speaking, the Church of the Beatitudes is also located within the area of Tabgha. However, as it is situated atop the Mount of Beatitudes, approximately 150 metres above the Sea of Galilee, it requires a detour of about ten minutes by car from Tabgha to wind up the hill. Therefore, it is listed here as a separate stop.
The Mount of Beatitudes is traditionally believed to be the site where our Lord Jesus delivered the Sermon on the Mount, including the Eight Beatitudes (Matthew 5). Like many Christian holy sites and churches, the earliest church commemorating the Sermon on the Mount was built here in the 4th century AD; its ruins lie not far from the present church. The current Church of the Beatitudes was completed in 1938.
The Eight Beatitudes represent some of the earliest systematic teachings given by our Lord Jesus at the beginning of His ministry (Matthew 5:3-10):
Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled.
Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called children of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
These profound yet accessible teachings are inscribed on the stained-glass windows of the church's dome. Light filters through these words, scattering their message towards the pulpit inside...
The church grounds include a beautiful garden, offering an eastern view over the Sea of Galilee. Not far from the church, a simple railing encloses a water spring. While the exact origins of this spring were not entirely clear to me, it appears to be of considerable antiquity. A rather new-looking stone plaque stands beside it, engraved with a Scripture verse (John 7:37):
"Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them."
Perhaps because some have genuinely attempted to climb onto the ancient stone platform to drink from the slender stream of water trickling from its top, a dark red warning sign has been erected nearby, cautioning visitors, "Do Not Drink The Water." I didn't pay much attention while taking the photograph, but upon review, the sign's placement right next to the Scripture plaque rather triggered my obsessive-compulsive tendencies. Consequently, I digitally altered the text on the sign in the lower right corner as a least bad solution, lol.
As we drove from the Church of the Beatitudes to the ruins of Capernaum, our guide mentioned Magdala and the Second Temple period. As this location hadn't featured in my pre-travel research, I simply took notes without fully grasping its significance at the time. While compiling these travel notes, I discovered that Magdala is, in fact, a site worth visiting (time permitting) for two key reasons:
Firstly, it contains the ruins of a relatively recently excavated (2009–2013) first-century synagogue – the "Migdal Synagogue." This is one of the very few synagogues dating from the Second Temple period discovered so far outside of Jerusalem.
Then, it is known as the hometown of Mary Magdalene ("Mary from Magdala"). She was among the women who accompanied Jesus and the Twelve disciples as He travelled from town to village proclaiming the Good News (Luke 8:1-2). She was present throughout the crucifixion (Mark 15:40-41), and she was one of the first witnesses to the Resurrection (John 20:1-18).
Touching the Promise Land 11 | Day 2 - CAPERNAUM
THE TOWN THAT JESUS CALLED HOME
Leaving the serenity of the Mount of Beatitudes, we journeyed on to Capernaum, a place of profound significance, and called in Matthew 9:1, "His own city". This ancient port on the Galilee's shore was the centre of Christ's early ministry; here He taught in the synagogue and called His first disciples. Now, its ancient stones lie in majestic ruin, a silent testament to the timeless and living words first proclaimed from the nearby hillside.
