3. A MAN OF AUTHORITY
It was not long before reports of the new Rabbi at Capernaum had traveled to all the cities around the Lake of Galilee. At Bethsaida, a little town three miles across the lake from Capernaum, farmers gossiped about the news as they worked in the green fields on the hills above their town. The name of Jesus was on the lips of everyone in the noisy market place; but the fishermen on the beaches knew most about the Teacher who said that the Kingdom of G.o.d was very near.
One Friday afternoon, a fisherman from Bethsaida, named Philip, was netting fish from his small boat at the northern tip of the Lake of Galilee. The Jordan River emptied into the lake at this point, and there were often large fish to be caught. Sp.a.w.ned and fattened in the many tiny streams that flowed into the upper Jordan, they came down the river to feed on the weeds that grew thickly in the swamps at the river mouth.
Philip glanced up at the sun. It was well past noon, time to be leaving.
Philip drew his net into the boat, set the oars into their crude notches, and rowed steadily toward Bethsaida, about a mile distant. He would have just enough time, he reflected, to clean up, get back to the boat, and row across the lake before the Sabbath Day commenced at sunset.
Philip landed and drew his boat a short distance up on the beach.
"Say, Philip! Why don"t you pull it up farther?" Philip looked around and saw a friend cleaning a net. Without pausing he replied, "I am going to use it again."
"Are you going far?" But the question was not answered; Philip was already hastening up the narrow street toward his home. An hour later, he returned. Anxiously he glanced toward the sun, now nearing the horizon.
"Where are you going?" asked the fisherman. Philip kept his back turned to the curious man. After he had launched the rowboat and was pulling away, he called out, "Across the lake." He knew the man had asked only to find out if he would be back before the Sabbath started.
Nevertheless, Philip rowed hard for Capernaum; he was conscientious and did not want to break the Sabbath if he could help it. The white walls and small domed houses of Capernaum were only a quarter of a mile away when Philip heard a sound that told him he had left Bethsaida too late.
The minister of the synagogue at Capernaum had blown his trumpet. Philip twisted around and saw that the mellow note had come just as the red sun sank behind the hills west of the lake. There were two more long blasts.
From this moment, the Sabbath rest began.
The minister laid the trumpet down on the flat roof of his house. No Jew worked after this signal. The women had already brought a full day"s supply of water into their houses and were forbidden to carry any more.
Fishermen were not supposed to clean nets or row. The market place was silent, for no buying or selling was permitted. The minister did not even carry his trumpet into the house. He would wait until sunset on Sat.u.r.day when the Sabbath ended and then he would put it away.
He lighted the great synagogue lamp. This was part of Sabbath worship and did not count as work. This shining light, hanging where Philip could plainly see it as he drew his boat up on the beach in front of Capernaum, made him feel a little guilty. Hurriedly he stored the oars under the seats and set out for the home of Simon, his friend in the city.
Simon"s house was in a high part of Capernaum, set back against the hills. It was not a long walk for Philip through the streets that led up from the lake front. Leaving the street of hard-packed dirt, Philip went under an arch into a square courtyard, open to the sky. The house was built on four sides, and doors led from a narrow porch into the rooms.
Philip hesitated a moment and then knocked at one of the doors.
"Philip!" Simon stood in the doorway, smiling at his friend. His broad shoulders and short neck made him seem burly. "Come in, my friend!"
Simon called across the courtyard to his wife: "Bring some food! Philip has come."
Inside, oil lamps were lighted and Simon"s children were playing on the floor in a corner of the room. Philip was very fond of them. He ran his fingers through the hair of the oldest, a black-haired lad of seven. The child gave him a friendly smile.
"What brings you to us on the Sabbath, Philip?" inquired Simon, half teasing, half reproving.
"I did not leave the river mouth until about three o"clock," explained Philip, a bit ashamed. "I was very eager to come to Capernaum."
Simon was immediately curious. "What made you come?"
"Everyone in Bethsaida is talking about the new Rabbi who is teaching here," answered Philip. "They say that he talks of a new kingdom."
Philip was a little surprised to see how intently Simon was listening to his words, but he did not pause. "I thought you could tell me more about him. I hear that he comes from Nazareth. When did you first find out about him?"
"A couple of months ago John and Andrew went up to Jerusalem and when they came back they told us they had met this man," answered Simon.
"They saw him baptized by John the Baptizer. The Prophet told them that Jesus was going to be a mighty servant of G.o.d. We didn"t take it very seriously though--you know how enthusiastic Andrew gets.
"We never realized what kind of person Jesus was until we saw him ourselves," continued Simon. "He isn"t like an ordinary teacher. You feel that he is so sure of himself and yet he is so humble." Simon was deeply earnest. "Everything he says goes right to your heart, Philip. I can hardly understand what it is--there is some power in him!" Simon"s wife entered.
"Here is food for you," said Simon, as his wife set a bowl of boiled fish on the table. Hungry from his trip across the lake, Philip gratefully moved to the rough bench in front of the table and began to eat.
After a while he asked, "Then you know this Rabbi well?"
"Yes," answered Simon. "He has been down on the lake sh.o.r.e every day this week. I have been with him most of the time."
"Doesn"t that take a good deal of time away from fishing?" observed Philip.
"Yes, some," replied Simon. "We do some fishing early in the mornings.
But it is true that we don"t do very much."
Philip was thoroughly puzzled by now. Simon had always been a hard worker. But Philip could not think of a way to ask why his friend had changed. For a while Simon remained silent. Nervously his foot stirred the palm fronds that covered the floor. "You see, Philip," he finally said very hesitantly, "I have really stopped fishing. I am now a follower of Jesus."
Philip was dumfounded. "You mean you aren"t working with Andrew and James and John any more?"
"They have left Zebedee too," answered Simon.
"What in the world...." blurted Philip. He stopped short. "How are you going to feed your wife and children?" he asked.
Simon looked at Philip frankly. "I do not know, Philip," he said, his voice firm. "But this one thing I am sure of: I cannot turn back from my decision to go with Jesus wherever he goes. I believe in him and am willing to do anything for him."
Philip knew there was no use protesting further. Simon had told him what he intended to do. What could he say? Finally he asked, "When can I hear your Rabbi teach?"
"He will be in the synagogue tomorrow," replied Simon. "I am sure you will understand why I feel this way," he added very earnestly.
On Sabbath morning the streets which Philip had found so silent the evening before were filled with people. From every part of Capernaum they climbed to the place where the synagogue stood. It was on the highest hill in the city, because no building was more important to the people than their place of worship.
Simon and Philip came hurrying with the crowd. At the door of the synagogue they stopped to catch their breath and looked at the lake below them. The water lay still and smooth in the morning light, but no one knew better than the fishermen how quickly a wind storm could sweep down the ravines between the hills around the lake and whip up dangerous waves.
"Where is the Rabbi?" asked Philip.
"He is probably inside," answered Simon, turning to enter the synagogue.
From behind a row of pillars they looked for Jesus among the men who filled the room. In the middle of the room was a low platform with a desk on it. Seats were arranged on all sides. Over their heads was a balcony where the women sat. Simon pointed.
"There is Jesus down near the front," he whispered to Philip. "We"ll sit with him." Philip noticed the tone of reverence in Simon"s voice.
A row of dignified men sat in front of a heavy curtain at the end of the room. One of them came over to Jesus. Simon and Philip were too far away to hear what he whispered, but evidently he asked Jesus, as the visiting teacher, to take part in the service, because Jesus followed him and sat down with the elders. The synagogue filled quickly. Philip thought that many people must have heard about Jesus and come to Capernaum. Jesus walked to the desk on the platform. Philip was impressed by his strong voice repeating a prayer that was often used in the synagogue:
"Blessed be Thou, O Lord, King of the world, Who formest the light and createst the darkness, Who in mercy givest light to the earth and to those who dwell upon it, And in Thy goodness, day by day and every day, renewest the works of creation.
Blessed be the Lord our G.o.d for the glory of His handiworks, And for the light-giving lights which He has made for His praise.
Selah."
In the second prayer, Jesus asked G.o.d to forgive and help the people.
"With great love hast Thou loved us, O Lord our G.o.d, And with much overflowing pity hast Thou pitied us, Our Father and our King.
For the sake of our fathers who trusted in Thee, And Thou taughtest them the statutes of life, Have mercy upon us, and teach us.
Enlighten our eyes in Thy law; Cause our hearts to cleave to Thy commandments: Unite our hearts to love and fear Thy Name, And we shall not be put to shame, world without end. Amen."
Then all the congregation repeated their Creed in unison.