The Book of Mark
Chapter 2 (NIV)
1A few days later, when Jesus again entered Capernaum, the people heard that he had come home. 2So many gathered that there was no room left, not even outside the door, and he preached the word to them.
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I read an interesting article about Capernaum in Wikipedia, about the history and excavation of Capernaum. The sites states, "The town is mentioned in the New Testament: in the Gospel of Luke it was reported to have been the home of the apostles Peter, Andrew, James and John, as well as the tax collector Matthew. In Matthew 4:13 the town was reported to have been the home of Jesus himself."
So did Jesus live in Capernaum after he left Nazareth and before he started his ministry? Or did he make Capernaum his home only after he began his ministry? Did he know his first disciples before he he officially began his ministry?
Anyway, it seems that he spent some days in the outlying villages and then returned to Capernaum. His reputation had grown - and word had spread of him back home. He's like a rock star - unable to go anywhere without mobs following him. How exhausting it must have been - to travel and continually have so many people pressing up against him. His grace and patience truly had/has no bounds.
When He had come back to Capernaum several days afterward, it was heard that He was at home.And (A)many were gathered together, so that there was no longer room, not even near the door; and He was speaking the word to them. (Mark 2:1-2; NASB)
Throughout the last and the current chapters, we can see many people come to Jesus, up to the point there was hardly anymore room left... One could ask, "why did Jesus withdraw himself and move to a remote region whenever more and more people came to Him?" Isnt's it a good thing that many people come to see Him and listen to Him preaching the word? I personally have two answers to these questions: 1.) Many people came with sicknesses and needs to Jesus and wanted His touch and care. Though it was not the primary purpose of Jesus to come to this earth to heal sick people and help the needy, He still had love and compassion for them. Hence, He cured them. However, as more and more people came to see Him, He realized that these people were more drawn by His signs and wonders so that He withdrew Himself;
2.)Also, we should remember that Israel had been longing for a king (such as Solomon or David) who would rule the country and restore and re-establish its glory and glamorous kingdom from the past. But since this was not the true reason Jesus coming and knowing that these Israelites intended to come and make him king by force, He withdrew again and again to quiete places. John 6:14-16 tells us the following verses: "After the people saw the miraculous sign that Jesus did, they began to say, "Surely this is the Prophet who is to come into the world." Jesus, knowing that they intended to come and make him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by himself."
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