1. This lake was a center of Jewish life.
It is Israel’s largest fresh water lake, 8 miles by 13 miles, also known as the Gennesaret, after a nearby plain. The lake, part of the Jordan Valley rift, is on the edge of the Africa and Asia plates. It is the lowest fresh water lake in the world. The Dead Sea , the lowest lake, is salt water.

2. The lake was a center of commerce and trade. We think of a lake as a country retreat, but this was on the trade route from Egypt to the great civilizations of Asia, and had much trade. It is listed in Isaiah as ‘Via Maris’

3. This was the locus of Jesus’ ministry, including miracles ‘feeding the five thousand’, source of apostles, Simon, Andrew, John, and James, and teaching ‘sermon on the mount’. The apostle Paul spent more time in salt water, and had many storm stories as well.

4. The boat was likely a fishing boat, possibly also used for transit. One has been recovered, and is in a museum, in Israel. A thirty foot long wooden sailboat, with oars, and ballast in bags, this may have been the size and style of the boat in this story. There were hundreds of small fishing boats in the Sea of Galilee at this time.

4. Some of the voyages appear to be deigned to provide privacy and quiet for Jesus and the disciples.

5. At the end of the Apostles’ first mission, they are reporting in and de-briefing. They needed some rest.
Jesus saw that the crowd rushed to meet them where they landed and had compassion on them. The theme continues that God’s grace and healing come to those who hear the word of God and have faith.

The takeaway is that Jesus always has awareness of those who seek him and have faith, and he meets them with compassion.