The Life Of Jesus Christ In Its Historical Connexion

Peter.

ON his return to Galilee Christ at once began his labours as a teacher; not, however, in the synagogues, but in instructing the groups that gathered around him. He betook himself first, not to Nazareth, his native place, where he could least hope to be received as a prophet (the carnal mind looks only at the outward appearance), but to the little town of Capernaum. The young men who had accompanied him from Peraea were from the neighbourhood of Capernaum and Bethsaida; and he only waited for a suitable opportunity to take them into closer communion. Such an opportunity was the following:

One day, as he was walking upon the western shore of the Sea of Genesareth, an increasing throng of eager listeners collected about him. Some fishermen who had toiled all night and brought up nothing but empty nets, had left their vessels fastened near the shore. Jesus asked Simon, to whom one of the fishing-boats belonged, to push it out a little way from the shore, that he might stand on board, and thus address the people to better advantage. [250] On finishing his discourse, he turned to Peter, who doubtless was anew struck with the power of his words, and told him to cast his net into the deep. Although he had toiled all night in vain, he obeyed the Master at a word. This full confidence of Peter shows that he had already been impressed to some extent, at least, with the Divinity of Christ. [251] An impression of the most powerful character, however, must have been made upon him (as a fisherman) by the wonderful result of this once letting down of his net, after the vain attempts of the long night before. The manifestation of the Divine power to him in the exercise of his own trade was characteristic of the Divine operations generally in the history of Christianity; he was thus led from the Carnal to the Spiritual. [252] All his previous impressions were revived and deepened by this sudden exhibition of the power of a word from Christ, and the Saviour appeared so exalted that he felt himself unworthy to be near him ["Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!"] [253] The Divine power appears fearful, in its holiness, to the sinner who is conscious of his sinfulness it fills him with consternation; he shrinks back from it with trembling Infinite, indeed, in view of the law, must the chasm appear between the sinner and the Divinely exalted Holy One. [254]

Christ seized upon this impression, and, glorifying the Physical into the Spiritual, by his prophetic explanation of the phenomenon, said to Peter [Fear not; from henceforth thou shalt catch men]: "Shrink not back in fear. Take confidence in me. Attach thyself henceforth wholly to me. Thou shalt see greater proofs of my power than this. In fellowship with me thou shalt achieve greater miracles. From henceforth thy net shall catch men."

The same impression, also, caused Andrew, James, and John [255] to join themselves from thenceforth more closely to Jesus.