Leaving Nazareth, Jesus returned to Capernaum. For quite some time, Herod Antipas had held John the Baptist in prison. This Herod was the son of Herod the Great by a Samaritan wife, thus making Antipas Gentile by birth. He inherited a portion of his father's domain: Galilee and Perea. The former was a large district spreading west from the Sea of Galilee to Phoenicia. The latter was the east bank of the Jordan starting about one-third of the way down from Galilee and stretching down to the mouth of the River Arnon where it emptied into the Dead Sea, some half-way down the eastern shore. There in the highlands of what had been ancient Moab, Herod the Great had built up the ancient fortress at Machaerus, and this was his son's primary residence. It was not far from where John the Baptist ministered on the Lower Jordan River, and was where John languished in prison.
This younger Herod made some pretense of conversion to Judaism, as his grandfather had done, to legitimate his claim to rule over the Jews in his domain. He had infuriated his subjects by putting aside his first wife, an Arab princess, and replacing her with Herodias. This woman was his niece, but also formerly married to his half-brother, from whom he wooed her. This was both incest and adultery, and it would be typical of John the Baptist to criticize this in his call for repentance. He was loathe to execute John, both because his subjects would resent it, but also because he, too, was taken with John's charisma.
It was common among kings of the East to imitate ancient customs from legendary empires before them, and Herod Antipas was no different. In a pretense to high Persian culture, he made a vow to accept without reservation any petition offered him during the entertainment portion of his birthday celebration. The entertainment was his step-daughter, no doubt offering a seductive dance recital. This was probably well planned by her mother, Herodias, who clearly resented John's influence over her husband. At his offer of any gift, the girl demanded the head of John the Baptist. Herod was aghast, but was not man enough to rescind his offer, and ordered John executed right away. With the prize of his head delivered in a large serving dish, the girl's departure left him alone with his guilt.
Indicting him further, it could only be his lack of direct involvement in affairs in his domain which allowed him to believe this miracle-working rabbi unknown to him was John raised from the dead. The disciples of John had retrieved his body for proper burial, then traveled north to Capernaum to inform his cousin, Jesus. Perhaps some came to join as disciples. While we can see the human wisdom of Jesus moving away from the public eye for awhile in case Herodias added Him to her list of targets, there were other reasons for taking a break. His disciples needed more time and teaching, and the disciples of John needed to mourn in proper company. Jesus needed to mourn the loss of His cousin and forerunner, but also needed time with His Father. We don't know where this wilderness place was, only that He and the group traveled by boat to get there.
Their departure was not as private as Jesus had wished. The Apostle John (John 6:1-4) tells us this event takes place in the run-up to the Passover. Given the ritual and social importance of this event, many Jews would have begun winding down their work in preparation. Many more than usual would be free to pursue the entertainment of Jesus' teaching and miracles. All the more so as they approached a time of year many believed would see the Messiah announce Himself with miracles. They followed Him along the shore, and were on hand to welcome Him when the boat landed. As always, Jesus saw in this crowd the scattered sheep neglected by their shepherds. He began healing them.
As the day wore on toward evening, it occurred to His disciples these people needed to seek food and shelter, and this was hardly the place. Jesus suggested they feed the multitude. The men stuttered they could only come up with food for one: five disks of pita bread and two small fish. Jesus directed the food be brought to Him and crowds to sit on the grassy slope. In typical Jewish fashion, Jesus recited a blessing on the God Who provided all things, then began breaking the break and distributing the food via His disciples. Matthew notes some 5000 men and their families were fed.
Because it was such a common thing, it is not mentioned each of the Disciples probably carried their own basket. Jews felt compelled to avoid eating non-kosher food in Gentile areas. However, the baskets often contained other items, much as one today might travel with a day-pack. Thus, they would have had each of their baskets filled with leftovers from the miracle feeding, thoughtfully providing for the next day or so.
John's account tells us the crowd made ready to crown Jesus their king by force. Jesus ordered a hasty retreat for His disciples, while He sent the crowd away and climbed up onto a mountain alone. He was praying there all night, and toward morning a storm had blown down onto the sea. The disciples in the boat had made little progress against the wind, and Jesus went out walking on the raging waves. Already fearing for their safety, they panicked when they saw the figure striding on the sea swells. They had fallen back into superstition, fearing they were seeing a ghost come to welcome them into death. Jesus called to them to relax, for it was He.
There is no Old Testament tradition of having four watches in the night, since they divided it into four-hour segments. More likely everyone had by this time already adapted to the Roman system of three-hour watches, and the fourth would have been between 3AM and 6AM. Peter, impetuous as ever, in relief asked Jesus command him out on the water. He had no faith to do this on his own, but was sure enough of Jesus to believe His Master could make it happen. Jesus saw no reason to reject Peter's request. As Peter got close, he suddenly regained an awareness of the circumstances, and began to sink. Jesus grabbed him using His hands. He chose a more human method of rescue, since Peter was no longer operating by faith. They climbed aboard the boat, and storm ceased.
On the one hand, His disciples already believed Jesus was the Messiah, the Son of God. Yet they struggled with what exactly this meant, still confused by a lifetime of false teachings. They had seen the countless people healed, delivered, and now fed from almost nothing. Here He showed utter calm and power over the very elements of weather, something they knew God alone could manipulate. So their belief in Him rose to a new level, as they worshiped Him as God.
In a short time, with the storm gone, they arrived a few miles from home in the city of Gennesaret. This would be roughly four miles (6km) farther west and a bit south from Capernaum, but still on the northwest shore of the sea. In a short time, word had spread of Jesus' presence, and crowds of sick people were brought into town. They begged Jesus the privilege of merely touching the fringe on His outer cloak as He walked by, a blue fringe which distinguished rabbis. As many as touched it were healed.
It is the nature of people lacking faith to fear, and even panic. We see it in Herod Antipas hearing about Jesus, in Herodias who tricked him into executing John the Baptist. The disciples panicked at the idea of feeding the multitude. They feared for their lives in the storm in spite of the knowledge Jesus had commanded they be there. They panicked at the sight of Him walking on the water, and Peter feared the storm again when he joined Jesus. We can guess they probably dreaded the lack of rest upon landing at Gennesaret and seeing the crowds gather. The contrast in each case is the total aplomb of Jesus. Matthew teaches us: Regardless how traumatic the situation may be, we will not find Our Lord anxiously wringing His hands. As Master of all creation, His peace is available to those who serve Him.
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Ed Hurst
20 October 2007
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