[ p. 171 ]
ANOTHER RETREAT ACROSS THE LAKE
Mk. vi. 14-16, 30-52 ; Mt. xiv. 1, 2, 13-33 ; Lk. ix. 7-17 ; Jo. vi. 1-21.
He was back in Capernaum, but not to stay there. The tragic death of the Baptist was not merely a heavy sorrow to Him ; it was a premonition of the doom which awaited Himself and which, in view of the increasing enmity of the powerful rulers, could not be long delayed. John had fallen a victim, and “so also,” He recognised, “would the Son of Man soon suffer at their hands.” (cf. Mt. xvii. 12) He was unalarmed by the dread prospect; for was it not ordained that He should die, a sacrifice for the sin of the world ? But meanwhile there was work for Him to do. The Twelve still needed instruction, especially regarding the significance of His Passion; and therefore it was imperative that, as soon as they rejoined Him, He should carry them off to some quiet retreat, all the more that He found Himself at this juncture menaced by a double embarrassment.
On the one hand, the fame of His miracles in southern Galilee had reached the ears of Herod Antipas, and it had shaken his guilty soul with superstitious alarm. His crime lay heavy on his conscience, and when he heard of the Lord’s doings, his fancy was that surely this could be none other than that “righteous and holy man” (cf. Mk. vi. 20) raised from the dead and armed, as befitted a visitant from the unseen, with supernatural powers. He desired a personal [ p. 172 ] interview; and our Lord recognised the risk He ran, if He remained in Capernaum, of being carried before the Tetrarch and the contumely which would be wreaked upon Him when the tyrant discovered his mistake and the groundlessness of his alarm.
Nor was this the only embarrassment which menaced Him. The popular enthusiasm, augmented by those two transcendent miracles—His raising of Jair’s child from the dead just before His departure from Capernaum and His recent raising of the widow’s son at Nain—was portentous; and He remarked a singular activity among His followers—a continual coming and going, covert communing, and mysterious whispering. Plainly some stealthy purpose was afoot, and presently He discovered what it was. Persuaded of His Messiahship and impatient of His tardiness in putting off His lowly disguise and taking His throne, they were determined to precipitate the grand denouement. (cf. Jo. vi. 15) The Passover was approaching, and they would then convey Him to the Sacred Capital and in presence of the assemblage of worshippers acclaim Him King of Israel and set Him on the throne of His father David.
It were indeed well for Him to quit Capernaum and seek a retreat; and it would be a relief to Him when His Apostles appeared. They were full of their experience, but He cut their stories short. “Come away by yourselves,” said He, “to a lonely place and rest a little.” He had fixed His destination—that broad champaign skirting the north-east of the Lake. It was a pleasant spot, watered by numerous streams and now in the spring-time thick spread with soft green grass. And it offered a peaceful retreat, since [ p. 173 ] it was sparsely peopled save for the town of Bethsaida Julias at the northern extremity, over a mile inland, close to the upper Jordan ; and, belonging to the tetrarchy of Philip, it was beyond the jurisdiction of Antipas.
They sailed across, a distance of some five miles, and on disembarking betook themselves to the upland overlooking the plain. The Lord loved the mountains, and there He found a convenient retreat, where He seated Himself and discoursed to the Twelve. By and by they were surprised by the sight of a huge crowd streaming over the plain. The people had seen Him setting sail from Capernaum, and had hurried after Him afoot round the head of the Lake. It was an unwelcome interruption, and He might have stolen away further into the uplands and escaped their quest; but He had not the heart to treat them thus. For they were truly a pathetic spectacle—a multitude of some five thousand men besides women and children. They were weary with their long travel, and some of them were sick and had come for healing. He left His retreat, and descended to the plain and greeted them kindly, talking to them of the Kingdom of God and healing the sick.
It was evening ere He was done, and they were hungry. A Jew always carried provisions when he went on a journey lest he should have to eat unclean food, and his bread-basket ( kophinos) was the badge of a Jewish traveller and the butt of Gentile derision. The Twelve had their baskets, but those poor folk in their haste had come unprovided. And now they were famished. They must have food, and the disciples suggested dismissing them on the chance of their procuring [ p. 174 ] it at the neighbouring villages and farms. But that would have been a sorry chance; and not only would the Lord succour the multitude but He recognised an opportunity of initiating the Twelve into a sacred mystery. He turned to Philip, the purveyor of the Apostle-company, and appealed to him : “Where can we buy loaves for them to eat ? ” It was impossible, and Philip demonstrated it by a rough estimate. The crowd, as he reckoned, numbered over six thousand, and a day’s wage at that period was a denarius . An average household numbered five, and half the day’s wage went for food—three meals.(Cf. Mt. xx. 2) If a day’s food for five cost half a denarius , two hundred denarii would barely furnish a single meal for over six thousand. Here Andrew interposed, corroborating what his friend Philip had said. Though they had the money, there was no market. A merchant had indeed appeared on the scene—a peasant lad who had come in the hope of trading with the crowd ; but all he had was five coarse barley-loaves and two little dried fishes.
“Bring them to Me,” said the Lord. He directed that the people should recline on the sward, and the Twelve for convenience in serving them disposed them by tens in companies of fifty to an hundred. It was an orderly arrangement; and, as St. Mark puts it, the groups with their parti-coloured garments on the soft green grass resembled the “ranks” or parterres of a garden. When they were all in place, the Lord first looked up to Heaven and blessed the provision, then broke it and gave the portions to the Twelve for distribution. As He dispensed it, the provision grew in His hands ; nor was it spent when the whole [ p. 175 ] multitude had eaten and were satisfied. At His bidding the Twelve put the remaining fragments in their basket*;, and every basket was filled.
The miracle had a distressful consequence. It was a fresh evidence of His Messiahship, and the enthusiasts who had been plotting a coup d’etat at the approaching Passover, were emboldened in their wild design and were meditating its immediate execution by there and then acclaiming Him King. Perceiving their intention, He insisted on the Twelve re-embarking and setting sail for Capernaum without Him ; and then, extricating Himself from the multitude, He escaped to the uplands. There He concealed Himself and unburdened His troubled heart in prayer.
The night closed boisterously with a strong westerly wind; but, engrossed in heavenly communion, He was unconscious of the elemental strife until, at the beginning of the fourth night-watch (3-6 a.m.), He descried the boat deep-laden, since the Twelve had taken some others with them on the homeward passage (cf. Mt. xiv. 33), only half-way across, struggling against the tempest. He went to their aid. To their amazement they beheld Him approaching over the Lake, walking on the rough water as on firm ground. They fancied it was a ghost until He got near and accosted them : “Courage ! It is I; do not fear.” “Lord,” cried Peter after his impulsive fashion, ” if it be you, bid me come to you on the water.” “Come,” said the Lord, and Peter stepped overboard. His courage failed him, and as he sank he exclaimed : “Lord, save me !” Jesus reached out His hand and grasped him. “How small your faith is !” said He. “Why did you doubt ?” No sooner had they got [ p. 176 ] on board than the wind fell, and the boat sped swiftly to the harbour.
It was an amazing experience, and the people in the boat recognised it as a further proof of His Messiahship. “Truly/’ they confessed, bowing before Him, “you are the Son of God.” But neither they nor the Twelve realised as yet the significance of the two miracles which they had witnessed. They had yet to learn the interpretation of them.