CHAPTER XX. PREACHING BY THE SEA-SHORE. TIME-Spring of A. D. 28. A. U. C. 781. HE first notice given of References. He was Jesus after His coming to During the previous night four of His former disciples had been on the lake trying in vain for fish (Luke 5: 5), and had come ashore, fastened their two boats a few rods apart, and were in the act of washing and repairing their nets. Seeing them landing, and recognizing Peter, His quondam disciple, Jesus spoke to him and bade him push off the boat again while the two entered. Peter obeyed, and probably kept the boat still while Jesus spake to the people on shore. Andrew was also there, though not referred to by Luke until the letting down of the nets (verses 6, 7) to enclose the great body of fish. The sermons of the rabbis were usually short, after the hearing of which the people would wander away to speak and reflect upon what they had heard. So, doubtless, on this occasion. Jesus closed his remarks, and for the double purpose of 202 THE GREAT CATCH OF FISH. compensating Simon and Andrew for the accommodation of their boat and to convince them of the Divine power of the preacher, Jesus bade Peter put out a little into the lake and cast his net. "It is of no use," Peter replied, "for, Master, we have toiled all night and taken nothing for our labor; but at thy word I will again cast the nets." Then the brothers cast out their drag-nets and enclosed a great shoal of fish, and, fearing their nets would break and they lose the catch, they called, by beckoning, implying that they were out of hearing, for John and James to come to their aid. They were all partners in the fishing business. These came in haste and secured both boats full of fish. However, they gained the shore before the boats sank, and so secured the haul. Having so done, Peter, in great amazement at the miraculous draught of fish, fell down on the beach and worshipped the Master, as probably did the others. After this Jesus called the four to become His permanent disciples. "Henceforth you shall become fishers of men," He said. Matthew and Mark only refer to the matter briefly. The first brothers were casting a net into the sea. They had several nets (Luke); they "cast them overboard" to wash them. The other brothers were "sitting in their boat mending their nets." Luke says, "The fishermen had gone out of their boats and were washing their nets." These are all different stages of the same proceedings. Some of the men-there were at least seven, including Zebedee and two servants (Mark)—had already gone out of the boats; others were throwing over the nets into the water to wash them; others were mending the torn meshes. Evidently the call was not until after the great catch of fishes. After these had been secured "that nothing be lost," as was Christ's rule, the four fishermen-Peter, Andrew, James and John-went with Jesus. RECALL OF DISCIPLES. 205 It appears to have been on Friday that Jesus recalled these four disciples.* The Jewish Sabbath began at sunset. It was announced from the roof of the synagogue by three trumpet blasts. The first, half an hour before the Sabbath hour, called the peasants from their labors in distant fields and vineyards. The second warned the merchants to close their shops, and the third for all to kindle the Sabbath lights, which should burn till the close of the holy day.-Talmud.† When Jesus came to Capernaum He must have at once found a "home," since Matthew informs us that He came and "dwelt" in Capernaum. It was not with Peter at first. Why? He came preaching, implying, as we find Him, "preaching by the way." Preaching on the shore He found Peter. He did not go on that Friday night to Peter's house, else He would not have waited till after the close of service at the synagogue, on the next day, before He healed Peter's wife's mother. If you say, "She may not have been sick on the night previous," we reply that a malignant fever could not have become "a fever" in so brief a time as one day. Therefore, on that night Jesus went to some other "home" than Peter's house. Perhaps He never "abode" with Peter. Since we last parted with Peter, four months previous, he had removed from Bethsaida to Capernaum, where he owned a house, in connection with his brother Andrew.-Mark 1: 29. There may have been a longer period than one day between the call of these four disciples and the Sabbath mentioned by Mark, who says, "And they (Jesus and these four disciples) go into Capernaum." Perhaps from Bethsaida several days after the recall, thereby giving Peter and Andrew sufficient time to close up their business and remove to Capernaum. None of these evangelists have proposed giving us a chronological account of the work of their Master. Luke's account * Ewold's Geschichte, 5th vol., 365 p., quoted by Geikie." |