“When Jesus had finished saying all this to the people, he returned to Capernaum” (Luke 7:1 NLT)

Notice the rhythm of operation in Jesus’ early ministry. He often returned to Capernaum as his home base. In this chapter, a group of Jewish elders came with a most unusual request, they wanted his help on behalf of a Roman officer and his deathly ill servant. This shows the crossroads of culture that Capernaum was in those days, as the Jewish elders expressed concern and gratitude for this Roman patron who had paid for the construction of their synagogue. So Jesus went with them to heal the Roman officer’s servant. What a different relationship Jesus had with the Jewish elders and Romans living in Capernaum and their counterparts in Jerusalem. Jesus healed the Roman soldier’s servant at the request of Capernaum’s elders, who described the Roman as a lover of the Jewish people. While in Jerusalem the Jewish elders hated their Roman rulers, and yet, they conspired together to crucify Jesus. I suppose Jesus could have remained in Capernaum, for that matter, he could have remained in heaven, but he left there. And went up to Jerusalem to be crucified.