2 minute read.
Daily Reading: Genesis 8:1-10:32 ESV, Matthew 4:12-25 ESV, Psalm 4:1-8 ESV, Proverbs 1:20-23 ESV
Daily Verse: “And leaving Nazareth he went to live in Capernaum by the sea, in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali.” (Matthew 14:13 CSB)
KATOIKEO (2730): Greek root word. “To settle down in a dwelling, to dwell fixedly in a place. ‘Indwelling’ of the totality of the attributes and powers of the Godhead in Christ. May make a home in your hearts.”[i]
Jesus dwells with us.
When Jesus was in ministry, He lived in Capernaum. Having grown up in Nazareth, Jesus’s hometown rejected Him. Base camp for our Saviour has a sign hanging at its entrance, spelled in block letters, “CAPHARNAUM THE TOWN OF JESUS.”[ii] God’s Son settled down in a village not far from Jerusalem to carry out His earthly mission.
Peter, Andrew, James, John, and Matthew all called Capernaum their home, while the rest of the disciples came from the Galilee area. One disciple wasn’t local; Judas, Jesus’s betrayer, didn’t hail from the same place. Farmers and fishers populated the tiny town Jesus called home.
Dwell fixedly.
Jesus lived with intentionality where He was. Most of the stories from the New Testament tell of Jesus’ life in Capernaum, ministering to those around Him. The first person to identify Jesus as the Son of God, a demon-possessed man in the synagogue:
“Ha! What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God.” (Luke 4:34 ESV)
The evil spirit within recognized the power of Jesus. Believing in Jesus means inviting His Spirit to live in our hearts. Now, as followers of Christ, we have Jesus’s Spirit dwelling in us. The Holy Spirit makes His home in our hearts, allowing Jesus to guide us.
When I was a child, I remember the moment Jesus’ Spirit moved into my heart. On top of my brother’s bunk bed, twelve years old, I cried out to Jesus to live in my heart. Answering the cries of a child, Jesus’ Spirit took up residency inside of me. Life changed as I felt His peace descend upon my anxious heart.
Invite Jesus to dwell in your heart today. Begin a journey of life change that never ends. Whatever rooms of your soul you’ve kept locked, unlock them today for the one who can heal your wounds. Let Jesus take up residency in you.
[i] Strong, J., & Strong, J. (2010). The New Strong’s expanded exhaustive concordance of the Bible. (p. 136) Thomas Nelson
[ii] https://www.travelingisrael.com/capernaum/
