"What can we do?" cried the Zealot. Waves continued to leap over the side into the boat. Desperately the men tried to bail out the water.
"We"ll never make it!" they cried, seized by panic.
Andrew clutched John"s shoulder. "Look! What"s that?" He pointed out into the blackness.
"It"s a ghost!" screamed one of the Twelve. The men forgot the waves.
Terror gripped them. "O Father in heaven," cried Simon, "save us!"
"Do not be afraid! It is I!"
Gradually it came to the men that it was the voice of Jesus they were hearing. "Oh, save us. Master!" Fear began to melt away. Jesus was in their midst.
"Why are you terrified?" he asked. "Have you no faith, even after being with me all this time?"
The white crest on the waves disappeared. The boat lay deep in the water, but danger was past. Almost afraid to look, the disciples turned to Jesus. Who could he be--that he had power to calm the storm?
"Did I not give life to the little child in Capernaum?" said Jesus. "Did I not give bread to the hungry crowds? Do you not yet understand?"
[Ill.u.s.tration]
10. "YOU ARE THE CHRIST"
The household of Symeon the Pharisee was stirring with excitement.
During the day the servants had put the house in perfect order, and now the cooks were preparing a banquet for the evening. Symeon himself was trying to make up his mind whether he should wear his highly ornamented robe. Finally he decided against it and chose another with fine cloth but very few tr.i.m.m.i.n.gs. A sensible Pharisee did not try to dress too elegantly when an important official was to be his guest.
The banquet table was beautiful. The servants had lighted candles to celebrate the victory of the great Jewish general, Judas Maccabaeus, who had driven foreign tyrants out of Palestine and purified the Temple two hundred years before. There was roast lamb, deliciously cooked, and all the best food which Symeon could afford to set before his guest of honor. Nothing could be too good for a scribe sent by the highest authority of the Jewish religion, the high priest himself!
Not until late in the evening did Symeon"s visitor arrive from his long journey. At dinner the men ate in dignified silence, but Symeon was burning with curiosity. The messenger who had brought news of the arrival of the scribe had told Symeon only that the high priest desired more information about certain things that were happening in Galilee.
Symeon was sure that the matter concerned Jesus of Nazareth.
Only when he had finished the dinner did the scribe speak to Symeon.
"You are a generous host, my friend."
Symeon smiled and bowed his head gratefully. The scribe settled himself comfortably. "I come on very delicate business. It must remain a secret." The servants came in to clear the table, and he stopped speaking. Then Symeon sent them out and closed the door. "The high priest tells me that you know this Jesus of Nazareth. Have you kept a close watch on him during the last few months?"
"Yes," replied Symeon, complimented by this confidential question. "I know all that he has done."
"As you remember, several months ago we ordered the elders of all the congregations to keep this Nazarene out of our synagogues," continued the scribe. "But of course that did not keep him from preaching to the people in public places." He looked keenly at Symeon. "Not a word of this must come to the common people!"
"Naturally," agreed Symeon.
"Very well, then," said the scribe. "Do you think that we can convince his followers that their Rabbi is not to be trusted?"
"That will be hard," answered Symeon. "He is more popular than ever."
Then he told the scribe in detail how Jesus had fed the crowd of five thousand people.
"It sounds as though he might even have it in his power to persuade them to revolt," observed the scribe when Symeon had finished.
"They actually did try to make him their king!" exclaimed Symeon.
"Does Herod know about that?" asked the man.
"We have told some of the people at his court about it," replied Symeon.
"If you want to know what I think--Herod is afraid to do anything! He thinks the Nazarene is John the Baptizer risen from the dead!"
"But this Jesus is as dangerous to Herod as he is to us!" exclaimed the scribe.
"That may be true, but just the same Herod knows that the people like Jesus," said Symeon. "Still, I am sure the king would put a quick end to this small-town prophet if it could be done without stirring up the people."
"Look, my friend," declared the scribe. "You know as well as I do that these common folk will not follow anyone who goes too far for them. From what you have told me, we ought not to have much trouble showing these simple Galileans that he is not a loyal Jew at all."
Symeon laughed bitterly. "Every day he breaks the tradition a hundred times!" A frown came over his face. "The trouble is--the people like it!"
"That may be partly true," admitted the scribe. "But I believe these country people are still real Jews at heart. They may be crude and uneducated, but they will never follow anyone who is trying to destroy the Law and break down our religion. The Nazarene can break a regulation here and there, and they like it--yes! But let him say anything against Moses, or Abraham, or the great Rabbis--they will desert him by the hundreds!"
"If that happened, Herod would throw the whole band of them in prison without delay," replied Symeon enthusiastically. "I believe you have struck on the way to stop this false Rabbi!"
The scribe lowered his voice. "When do you think we could find him with some of his followers?"
"He is always at the lake in the morning," replied Symeon.
About ten o"clock the next day, the men stepped into the sunlit street in front of Symeon"s home. Over their shoulders each wore a short cape, beautifully decorated with four blue ta.s.sels, one at each corner. Many Jews wore this cape, but only the Pharisees added extra long blue ta.s.sels.
They descended the cobblestone street from the high part of Capernaum where Symeon lived and went toward the lake below. People bowed and smiled, but the two men paid no attention. They were used to having people make way for them. They strode into the crowded market place, already hot under the rays of the morning sun. The hoofs of many animals had raised a cloud of dust. Everywhere farmers and fishermen were shouting, trying to catch the ear of persons who came to buy. Only the donkeys, laboring under huge baskets of food, refused to budge for the officials.
After a short walk through the narrow streets of Capernaum, Symeon caught sight of the lake, blue and cool, dancing in the sunlight. He pointed ahead of them. "The Nazarene is usually on the sh.o.r.e a little way beyond those fishing boats." They were approaching a group of fishermen who had drawn up their boats and spread nets on the beach.
"We must show these people that he is not merely meddling with parts of the Law," remarked the scribe. "The fact is that he is not a true Jew at all!"
A group of people had gathered on the sh.o.r.e, just to the right of the road. "There they are!" exclaimed Symeon.
The two men stopped briefly at the edge of the circle of people and then walked boldly up to Jesus. Seeing their robes, everyone made way. "It is widely reported, Rabbi," said the scribe, "that your disciples do not keep all the sacred customs of our religion."
Jesus answered them the same way he spoke to the common people that sat around him. "Where do your customs come from?" he asked directly.
Just the opening they wanted! The scribe did not miss his chance.
"Moses himself gave us these commands," he declared. "Yet I heard that your disciples do not wash their hands before meals as Moses commanded us."
Without a moment"s hesitation Jesus retorted: "Have you forgotten that Moses also commanded you to honor your father and your mother? Yet you have made up a rule that allows a rich man to say to his aged parents, "I can"t support you--I have given all my money to G.o.d." The fact is that he has not given it to G.o.d at all; he has only paid a fee to the priests!" Jesus was indignant. "You talk about Moses, but you yourselves break his commands!"
The scribe had to defend himself. "This rule was made by one of our great rabbis," he said.
"You have put human rules in the place of the commands of G.o.d," declared Jesus. "Isaiah was talking about you when he said, "These people give me respect with their mouths, but their hearts are far away from me!""