20160405 Tuesday, April 5 2016
Mark 09: Why Did Capernaum Fall?

by Wayne Blank
See also 1 Year Holy Bible Reading Plan

"And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted to heaven, shalt be thrust down to hell"

Mount Hermon, in the Lebanon mountain range, is a majestic, snow-peaked mountain that is visible from Galilee to the south. It would have been a familiar sight to the Messiah for the entire quarter-century that He lived in Galilee. The "transfiguration" (see The Moses And Elijah Vision) happened while the Messiah was preaching in Galilee, thereby making Mount Hermon the mostly-likely place where the event happened. The brightness of the vision would have further been enhanced by the year-round snow at the peak i.e. He "leadeth them up into an high mountain apart by themselves: and he was transfigured before them ... And His raiment became shining, exceeding white as snow." Part of the area today is the site of a ski resort.

"9:1 And he said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That there be some of them that stand here, which shall not taste of death, till they have seen the kingdom of God come with power.

9:2 And after six days Jesus taketh with him Peter, and James, and John, and leadeth them up into an high mountain apart by themselves: and he was transfigured before them. 9:3 And his raiment became shining, exceeding white as snow; so as no fuller on earth can white them. 9:4 And there appeared unto them Elias with Moses: and they were talking with Jesus.

9:5 And Peter answered and said to Jesus, Master, it is good for us to be here: and let us make three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias. 9:6 For he wist not what to say; for they were sore afraid.

9:7 And there was a cloud that overshadowed them: and a voice came out of the cloud, saying, This is my beloved Son: hear him.

9:8 And suddenly, when they had looked round about, they saw no man any more, save Jesus only with themselves.

9:9 And as they came down from the mountain, he charged them that they should tell no man what things they had seen, till the Son of man were risen from the dead. 9:10 And they kept that saying with themselves, questioning one with another what the rising from the dead should mean.

9:11 And they asked him, saying, Why say the scribes that Elias must first come?

9:12 And he answered and told them, Elias verily cometh first, and restoreth all things; and how it is written of the Son of man, that he must suffer many things, and be set at nought. 9:13 But I say unto you, That Elias is indeed come, and they have done unto him whatsoever they listed, as it is written of him." (Mark 9:1-13 KJV)

The Messiah healed people with both physical or spiritual ailments - or in this case, a combination of both (see also Healings Of Man And Nature and The Healing Waters Of Body And Spirit).

"9:14 And when he came to his disciples, he saw a great multitude about them, and the scribes questioning with them. 9:15 And straightway all the people, when they beheld him, were greatly amazed, and running to him saluted him.

9:16 And he asked the scribes, What question ye with them?

9:17 And one of the multitude answered and said, Master, I have brought unto thee my son, which hath a dumb spirit; 9:18 And wheresoever he taketh him, he teareth him: and he foameth, and gnasheth with his teeth, and pineth away: and I spake to thy disciples that they should cast him out; and they could not.

9:19 He answereth him, and saith, O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him unto me.

9:20 And they brought him unto him: and when he saw him, straightway the spirit tare him; and he fell on the ground, and wallowed foaming.

9:21 And he asked his father, How long is it ago since this came unto him?

And he said, Of a child.

9:22 And ofttimes it hath cast him into the fire, and into the waters, to destroy him: but if thou canst do any thing, have compassion on us, and help us.

9:23 Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.

9:24 And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.

9:25 When Jesus saw that the people came running together, he rebuked the foul spirit, saying unto him, Thou dumb and deaf spirit, I charge thee, come out of him, and enter no more into him.

9:26 And the spirit cried, and rent him sore, and came out of him: and he was as one dead; insomuch that many said, He is dead. 9:27 But Jesus took him by the hand, and lifted him up; and he arose.

9:28 And when he was come into the house, his disciples asked him privately, Why could not we cast him out?

9:29 And he said unto them, This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting.

9:30 And they departed thence, and passed through Galilee; and he would not that any man should know it. 9:31 For he taught his disciples, and said unto them, The Son of man is delivered into the hands of men, and they shall kill him; and after that he is killed, he shall rise the third day. 9:32 But they understood not that saying, and were afraid to ask him." (Mark 9:14-32 KJV)

The Messiah was violently rejected from the three towns that He lived in during His human lifetime. As an infant, He had to be taken from His birth town of Bethlehem to keep Him from being murdered (see Escape From Herod and The Rachel's Children Prophecy). The Messiah then lived in Nazareth of Galilee for about 25 years (from age 4 or 5 to age 30), until His Ministry began - when the people violently rejected Him, even trying to kill Him (see The Last Words At Nazareth). The Messiah then went and lived in Capernaum during the years of His Ministry, but there too, He was abused and rejected - to which the Messiah delivered unto them their condemnation of ruin (as happened, as seen in the photograph): "10:15 And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted to heaven, shalt be thrust down to hell." (Luke 10:15 KJV).

The Messiah nevertheless maintained a home in the north, in Capernaum, until He was Crucified in the south, in Judea. Many of His most well-known teachings were given during His Ministry years at Capernaum - unlike Nazareth where He was known only as an ordinary citizen when He lived there before His Ministry began ("13:55 Is not this the carpenter's son? is not his mother called Mary? and his brethren, James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas? 13:56 And his sisters, are they not all with us? Whence then hath this man all these things? 13:57 And they were offended in him. But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honour, save in his own country, and in his own house." Matthew 13:55-57 KJV; see also The Kinsfolk Of Jesus Of Nazareth). The people of Capernaum were given to witness far more than the people of Nazareth - thereby making their failure worthy of that much greater rebuke.

"9:33 And he came to Capernaum: and being in the house he asked them, What was it that ye disputed among yourselves by the way? 9:34 But they held their peace: for by the way they had disputed among themselves, who should be the greatest.

9:35 And he sat down, and called the twelve, and saith unto them, If any man desire to be first, the same shall be last of all, and servant of all.

9:36 And he took a child, and set him in the midst of them: and when he had taken him in his arms, he said unto them, 9:37 Whosoever shall receive one of such children in my name, receiveth me: and whosoever shall receive me, receiveth not me, but him that sent me." (Mark 9:33-37 KJV)

The physical and spiritual healings that were done happened by means of the Holy Spirit - that is not exclusive to anyone, even the most pompous who lust to "lead" Christ's Church. In this incident, the Messiah wasn't telling them to not interfere with a believer in Him from doing miracles, but rather to not attempt to interfere with the Holy Spirit that was itself doing the miracles as a witness of Him.

"9:38 And John answered him, saying, Master, we saw one casting out devils in thy name, and he followeth not us: and we forbad him, because he followeth not us.

9:39 But Jesus said, Forbid him not: for there is no man which shall do a miracle in my name, that can lightly speak evil of me. 9:40 For he that is not against us is on our part. 9:41 For whosoever shall give you a cup of water to drink in my name, because ye belong to Christ, verily I say unto you, he shall not lose his reward." (Mark 9:38-41 KJV)

The lesson of not being a Satanic "stumbling block" (see the Fact Finder question below) to anyone else is actually found in a number of other lessons (see Why Can't Light Be Hidden?).

"9:42 And whosoever shall offend one of these little ones that believe in me, it is better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he were cast into the sea. 9:43 And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched: 9:44 Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. 9:45 And if thy foot offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter halt into life, than having two feet to be cast into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched: 9:46 Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. 9:47 And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out: it is better for thee to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire: 9:48 Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.

9:49 For every one shall be salted with fire, and every sacrifice shall be salted with salt.

9:50 Salt is good: but if the salt have lost his saltness, wherewith will ye season it? Have salt in yourselves, and have peace one with another." (Mark 9:42-50 KJV)

Fact Finder: What is a "stumbling block"?
See Satan's Sandals